Italian Social Movements

Giulia Sirigu

My presentation focused on Italian social movements. Starting from student movements in the Sixties I examined protests evolution and their impact on civil society and political system. Italian student movements started in 1968, following French and European protests asking  for a more fair and equal society. Through changes  ’68 students assemblies and their internal organisations underwent , Italian students demonstrated to other sectors and movements (urban, feminist and cultural)that only those who dare can achieve greatly. In the same years working and student movements started acting together but protests politicisation and international diffusion of Cold War feelings generated the radicalisation of some of them. Looking at the evolution of these movement it is possible to understand how ,in the Seventies and in the Eighties, in Italy was possible to create a period of socio-political turmoil known as “the years of lead”. Domestic political instability, Italian violence, terroristic events and anti-mafia judges’ fight against the system generated a growing scepticism among Italian population, generating the collapse of Italian political system.  Investigations on political corruptions were the detonator that allowed the shift from the first to the second Republic, which means the radical change of the Italian political scenario.  During this period named “Tangentopoli” ( literally Bribesville) in Italy were created many movements, both in support of anti-mafia investigations and against pervasive corruption existent in the country, which risen anti-mafia and anti-corruption judges to the status of proper stars. Tangentopoli period gave political birth to Berlusconi’s party, directly connected to televisions and media power, generating a period known as “Berlusconismo” that persisted until nowadays. In 2000, the indiscriminate  use of political system and norms in order to protect personal and sectorial interests woke up population’s protests, creating many movements against Italian political and corrupt conditions and today still alive.