Italian Political Parties and Their Organisation beyond National Borders

According to the most recent statistics, 8.8% of the Italian population is registered as living abroad. This figure has increased considerably following the 2007 global economic crisis, with the number of Italians abroad rising from 3.1 million in 2006 to over 5 million in 2018 (+70% in only 12 years). Additionally, legislation on voting from abroad was amended to allow for postal voting and established 18 reserved seats for Italians abroad. These conditions seem to offer strong incentives for political parties to engage with potential supporters abroad in a structured and stable way. Yet, the analysis revealed significant variation among parties. By undertaking a close analysis of the organisational rules for the Italian party abroad as contained in party Statutes, the article suggests that variation among parties can be explained by their individual history of diaspora representation and by the organisational model established at the national level.