LULUs Movements in Multilevel Struggles in Italy

Territorial or LULU (Locally Unwanted Land Use) movements are regaining more and more media visibility and centrality in public discourse in Italy and elsewhere.While addressing local issues, they develop a complex multi-level strategy, addressing local, but also national and European targets. A comparative analysis of LULUs struggles in the Italian case allows in particular to assess processes of scale shifts, both upwards and downwards in a context characterized by an economic and social crisis that had also strong political repercussions. Developing upon the political process approach in social movement studies, but bridging it with approaches in policy analysis, we aim at explaining the ways in which opportunities are framed at various levels (local, national and European) along the different steps of the policy process. Specific questions refers to: a) the assessment of Europe as a potential ally, target and space of struggle in a situation of declining processes of Europeanization within social movements, given the perceived closing of opportunities at EU level; b) the potential for appropriation of opportunities as the Five Star Movement - a party that has supported in the past several LULUs movements - took power at local and national level in Italy. The research is based on a cross-case analysis of four among the best known LULU movements: 1) the No TAV, against the construction of the high-speed railway line in Val di Susa in Piedmont; 2) the No MUOS, contrary to the US Navy geo-satellite communication system at Niscemi in Sicily; 3) the No TAP, against the construction of the Trans-Adriatic Gas pipeline in San Foca-Melendugno in Apulia; 4) the No Large Ships (Grandi Navi), adverse to the transit of cruise ships in the Venetian lagoon. The paper is based both on previous research already published and on recent research materials, consisting mainly of interviews with key-informants and analysis of local and national documents and press.