From the Plaza to the Parliament: Evaluating Anti-Austerity Governments in Greece and Italy

Abstract

This research will focus on anti-austerity governments that emerged out of social movements in Greece and Italy after 2010. The first chapters demonstrate how anti-austerity movements in both Greece and Italy were incorporated into fringe party politics with populist platforms. It will then trace the electoral success of two particular parties, SYRIZA in Greece and the Five Star Movement in Italy and their coalition governments. The following section will assess how anti-austerity coalitions of populist parties govern in member states of the European Union—specifically when do these parties fulfill or diverge from their anti-austerity promises? I hypothesize that fringe parties that emerged out of anti-austerity movements are more likely to diverge from their populist politics under two conditions: when they experience increased Europeanization, and/or when faced heightened competency costs on the domestic level. I first give a summary of significant anti-austerity policies proposed by each party during their successful election campaigns. I then use theories of bargaining power and international decision making regimes to show how anti-austerity parties are likely to approach negotiations with the European Union and that divergence occurs when abovementioned variables are categorized as high.