Ideologies of the Past, Votes of the Present: Fascist Attitudes and Italy's Far-Right Resurgence

The 2022 Italian parliamentary election marked a critical moment in the ongoing rise of the far right in Western Europe, providing fertile ground to examine both sentiments toward fascism and their political implications. This study addresses two interrelated objectives: first, to analyze the determinants of favorable views on fascism in contemporary Italy; and second, to investigate the role of pro-fascist attitudes in shaping electoral support for the far-right coalition in this election. While many far-right parties have historical ties to pre-democratic fascist movements, empirical research directly linking attitudes toward fascism with far-right electoral behavior remains limited. To bridge this gap, the study employs a quantitative approach, using two distinct measures—Sentimental Fascism and Ideational Fascism—to assess pro-fascist sentiments and their relationship with voting patterns. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 1,500 Italian citizens aged over eighteen conducted from September 14–21, 2022, this research provides novel empirical insights into these dynamics. The analysis distinguishes between two dimensions of pro-fascist attitudes: Sentimental Fascism, reflecting affective evaluations such as contempt/admiration and hate/closeness to fascism, and Ideational Fascism, capturing cognitive agreement with statements endorsing fascist ideals. The findings reveal that a significant segment of the Italian population holds positive attitudes toward fascism, particularly among voters aligned with the right-wing coalition. Psychological factors such as authoritarianism and securitarianism are strongly associated with pro-fascist views, whereas democratic preferences act as a mitigating force. Interestingly, populist attitudes, while central to the far right's broader appeal, exhibit a negative relationship with Ideational Fascism, highlighting a complex tension within the ideological fabric of the far-right electorate. The second objective of this study is to investigate the extent to which fascist attitudes serve as a key independent variable in shaping voting behavior for the far-right coalition in the 2022 Italian parliamentary election. This focus is crucial for understanding whether and how sentiments such as Sentimental Fascism and Ideational Fascism translate into electoral support for parties historically linked to authoritarian legacies. By analyzing the interplay between these ideological predispositions and voting patterns, this research aims to elucidate whether fascist attitudes operate as a distinct mobilizing force or if they are embedded within broader psychological and contextual dynamics that define far-right support. This objective highlights the importance of not only assessing the persistence of historical legacies but also uncovering their direct political consequences in contemporary electoral contests.