History of Italian Citizenship - Italy After Fascism

Italy After Fascism

The failure of fascism is often associated with the ruined prestige of the Italian national identity. Since the fifties and sixties the loss of national prestige seems to have grown as some scholars presently maintain that Italian nationals have already lost, or are in the process of losing, their sense of national identity. This loss of national identity can be witnessed in the present-day growth of Piccolo Patria (local patriotism); where national identity is being replaced by regional patriotism. This has led to divisive movements such as the separatist movement of the Northern League of Italy. However the strength of regional patriotism has also positively affected the ease with which Italian Nationals have entered the European Union. It is a popular paradox to say that “Italians are the most regional yet at the same time the most European” of all individuals within the EU. The retention of a strong regional identity is seen as corresponding with a weaker notion of state and national identity. As a result Italians are able to view participation in the EU as non-threatening to national consciousness in contrast to fellow Europeans; who place a greater importance on retaining a unique national identity.