This book examines the political developments in Italy in 1996. It discusses the general elections of April, the new placement of Left, Center-Left, and Lega Nord, the Scalfaro presidency, the Andreotti trials, Italian involvement in the European Union, and the politics of intervention in Bosnia.

Introduction: A Year of Difficult Dialogue -- The General Elections of 21 April 1996 -- Forza Italia: Old Problems Linger On -- The Lega Nord: From Federalism to Secession -- The Italian Left After the 1996 Elections -- Majoritarian and Proportional Electoral Systems: The Sicilian Case -- The Government of the Ulivo -- The Majoritarian System, Act II: Parliament and Parliamentarians in 1996 -- The Scalfaro Presidency in 1996: The Difficult Return to Normality -- Politics and Consumption: The Four Revolutions of Spectator Football -- Italian Intervention in Bosnia and the (Slow) Redefinition of Defense Policy -- Statesman or Godfather? The Andreotti Trials -- The Italian Presidency of the European Union -- Documentary Appendix