Author Archive

Dr. James F. Downes

Dr James F. Downes is Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics & International Relations at the Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU). James is the Head of the Politics & Public Administration Programme at HKMU and Adjunct Professor on the MSSc in Greater China Programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is a Research Fellow in the Global Europe Centre at the University of Kent/The Brussels School of International Studies and a Research Fellow at The Far Right Analysis Network (FRAN).

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Volatility Post-World War II Italian politics has often been marked by significant political instability and frequent changes of government. The twenty-first century period in Italian politics has been characterised by the emergence of new political forces, the decline of traditional parties, and persistent public policy challenges related to corruption, economic stagnation, and immigration (Albertazzi and Zulianello, 2021). Remarkably, Italy has had an astonishing 69 governments in 79 years. This means that on average, governments in Italy last for just over a year. Our forthcoming book “The Rise of the Radical Right in Italy: A New Balance of Power in the Right-Wing Camp” to be published by Columbia University Press and ibidem Press in June 2024 examines the more worrying trend …