The Italian General Election of 2008: Berlusconi Strikes Back

In this book leading academics provide comprehensive analysis of an election whose outcome has been perhaps the most dramatic in Italian history. Covering the political, economic and foreign-policy background, the campaign and the outcome, the book offers a sequel to earlier volumes on the 2001 and 2006 elections - thus giving the added value of a work allowing direct comparison of 2008 with the previous elections-while providing important insights into the current trajectory of Italian politics. Like the previous volumes, the book begins with the context in which the election took place - before considering the preparations made by the two main electoral coalitions in the lead up to the campaign; the campaign issues; the role of the media; the electorate; the new parliament and the new government. Accessible to both specialists and the interested general reader, this book is essential reading for academics, elections analysts, journalists and policy-makers alike.