Neofascist Identification and Collective Memory in Italy and the Challenge for Democracy

25 July 1943, Fascist Grand Council voted against Mussolini, bringing about the end of the regime. If 25 July was traumatic especially for fascism, the armistice of 8 September 1943 was traumatic for the whole nation. To wash away 25 July, the Verona Process was set up for those who had voted against. Moreover, in order to repair the treason of the German ally on 8 September, the Italian Social Republic was emphatically claimed. In the post-war period, neo-fascist political actors consolidated an alternative rhetoric of memory: 25 July, 8 September, and 25 April (Liberation Day) were framed as the root of all problems of democratic Italy: from the mafia phenomenon to the lack of national sovereignty. Trauma, humiliation and treason thus shaped the antagonistic identification with Italy's republican institutions. Even today, for many representatives of the Italian right 8 September is synonymous with treason. This paper aims to reconstruct neo-fascist identification and collective memory building in Italy from a sociohistorical perspective in light of contemporary Italian politics. Key-words: Neo-fascism, Collective memory, Identity, Democracy, Italy