Living Parallel Lives: Italy and Greece in an Age of Austerity

The economic crisis has triggered a process of political convergence between Italy and Greece. The downfall of the Italian and Greek governments, following the public withdrawal of European confidence in their ability in handling the crisis in 2012-13, was followed by the establishment of technocrat-led governments based on parliamentary large majorities and then by protest elections, marked by unprecedented levels of electoral volatility. The article examines the process of political convergence between Italy and Greece in a comparative perspective.