The post-Berlusconi centre right and the challenge of governing

This introduction to the ‘Politics in Italy 2024’ special issue sheds light on the main events that unfolded during the course of the last year. A central focus is on the passing of Silvio Berlusconi, discussing his legacy and the consequences of his death for the Italian party system. This introduction also discusses the extent to which Fratelli d’Italia (FdI) was able to honour its election pledges, and to act in such a way as to draw a clear line of discontinuity with previous governments. Drawing on Peter Mair’s well-known idea that parties in power are torn between responsibility and responsiveness, we explore the factors that propelled the Meloni government in the direction of the former objective. These aspects are assessed against the available empirical evidence presented in this special issue, revealing that despite notable instances of rupture, Giorgi Meloni’s government has largely followed in the footsteps of its predecessors.