With or Without Europe? Euroscepticism and the awkward case of Italy

Analyses of Euroscepticism in Italy have always looked at both party-based, or elite-based, and mass-based opposition to European integration without underlying the characteristics and difference of the two sources. While on one hand, Euroscepticism seems to be better explained by economic reasons, on the other recent governments and parliaments, at home and at the EU (European Union) level, have shifted Eurosceptical discontent rightwards. In this study we examine the different, and expected contrasting, sources of Italian Euroscepticism, and we debate what the consequences on the representation of the EU might be. By examining the ITANES, Eurobarometer, and Chapel Hill data, we analyse Italian attitudes since the early 2010s, at the party and public levels. While public Euroscepticism can be mainly explained by rational utilitarianism, in a rather similar pattern as across the EU Eastern member states, political parties show similar characteristics compared to EU Western states, with some opposition across the small radical left, and more opposition based on sovereignty and anti-immigration across right-wing parties. This affects the mismatch between parties and voters, where political cues do not to seem to hold true on the European issue. How is the European issue represented? Is there a full lack of communication on the EU issue between parties and the public? The analysis seeks to answer this question and suggests what this means for the future of Italy in the EU in comparative perspective.