Introduction. Multiple Populisms. Italy as Democracy's Mirror (original) (raw)

Contemporary nationalist populism is rich in paradox. Deeply rooted in and protective of individual cultures and histories, its movements share many characteristics across countries. They are highly political, but depend on an anti-political rhetoric. Paul Blokker and Manuel Anselmi's collection confronts this complexity through the lens of a key case: Italy. Currently governed by two rival populist parties, Italy has a long record of populist movements and ideas. Again, however, as several of these authors clearly show, this is not a question of a national peculiarity, but a strong example of a phenomenon to be found far more widely.