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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 January 2016
From the perspective of the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) and the left generally, the 1989-1994 period can be viewed as a political failure in as far as there was a right-wing outcome (albeit ephemeral) to Italy's transition. Yet, it is a failure which has to be viewed in the context of the deep undercurrents of change at work in Italy in this period and the constraints within which the PDS and its leader, Achille Occhetto, were operating
1 See Ignazi, Piero, Dal PCI al PDs, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1992, and Italian Politics. A Review, Vols 6–7, Pinter, London, 1992–3.Google Scholar
2 See Bull, Martin J. and Newell, James L., ‘Italian Politics and the 1992 Elections: From “Stable Instability” to Instability and Change’, Parliamentary Affairs, pp. 206–15, 46, 2, April 1993.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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8 Quoted in La Repubblica, 4 November 1993.Google Scholar
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11 In fact, the share of seats the PDS gained in the Chamber of Deputies was only 18.25 per cent.Google Scholar
12 For an account of the leadership succession see Bull, Martin J., ‘Il fallimento dell'Alleanza progressista’, in Ignazi, Piero e Katz, Richard S. (eds), Politica in Italia. I fatti dell'anno e le interpretazioni. Edizione '95, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1995.Google Scholar
13 See Bull, , ‘Il fallimento dell'Alleanza progressista’, pp. 111–114.Google Scholar
