The Twilight of the Berlusconi Era: Local Elections and National Referendums in Italy, May and June 2011

Following its victory in the spring 2008 general elections, the centre-right coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi formed a government that appeared to be themost cohesive in the history of the Second Republic. Three-and-a-half years later, in November 2011, Berlusconi was forced to resign, ending a long period in which he had dominated Italian politics. By analysing the 2008–11 political–economic cycle, with special attention to the local elections and the referendums of May and June 2011, we argue that the downfall of Berlusconi’s government can be explained by the interplay of the international economic crisis, the scandals related to the prime minister’s private life, the divisions of the parties of the centre-right and the shrinking of its parliamentary base.