Italy Today ─ The Sick Man of Europe

Italy Today represents one of the most comprehensive examinations of contemporary Italy. It is a provocative and an innovative collection that aims to highlight the current ‘crisis’ of the country through an analysis of several different ‘dark shadows’ of contemporary Italian society.

Italy already had a long history of ‘unsolved’ issues, several chronic problems and contradictions that have been ignored for a very long time, during which they have assumed dramatic proportions and gravity. The peninsula has now become the ‘Sick Man of Europe’, a country facing a veritable decline also caused by apparent incapacity and difficulties of the ruling economic, political and social elites.

Discussions include:

• an evaluation of the current predicaments of the political system
• analysis of emerging mafias, including new powerful crime organizations such as ‘Ndrangheta
• issues surrounding the ongoing presence of Fascism
• examination of the recent xenophobic tensions
• discussion of problems associated with the missed opportunity of the EU funding, and the increasing regional economic gaps
• outline of the systemic troubles of Italy’s economic and industrial system.

Written by leading experts in the field and covering a wide range of topics, this collection is essential reading for all those seeking to understand the issues and problems that are facing contemporary Italy.

Andrea Mammone is a Lecturer in Modern European History at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.