Bull, MJ and Pasquino, G 2007, 'A long quest in vain: institutional reforms in Italy' , West European Politics, 30 (4) , pp. 670-691.

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Abstract

Of all the issues that have been regarded as necessary to stabilising Italian politics following the dramatic upheaval of the 1990s, none has been more important than constitutional and institutional reforms. Yet, there has been an unqualified failure of the political class over a thirty year period to achieve constitutional reform (whilst not overlooking electoral reform which is outside of the Constitution). This is not to suggest that Italian institutions remain totally unreformed or unchanged; on the contrary, the principal institutions have all experienced change and piecemeal reform, notably in the past 15 years. However, these changes have never been regarded as sufficient to meet the needs of Italian democracy and root-and-branch reform has thus far eluded the political class. The failed attempted to achieve this in 2005-06 has increased the dilemma of achieving root-and-branch reform in the future

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