Current Position and Education
I am Professor of Political Science in the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the University of Bologna. Previously, I was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Political Change at the University of Siena and, from 2006 onwards, an assistant professor and then an associate professor at the University of Bologna.
I graduated in Political Science from the University of Florence and received my PhD in Comparative and European Politics from the University of Siena.
Research
My research examines how political parties and elites respond to changes in democratic representation, political communication, and information environments.
In recent years, I have focused primarily on populism, the radical right, and the effects of digitalisation and changing information environments on politics. I have studied the Five Star Movement extensively and, more recently, the organisation, political culture, and communication of Brothers of Italy. I have also coordinated the University of Bologna research unit within the PRIN MiMeSys project, which examins misperceptions, information disorder, and polarisation among citizens, politicians, and journalists.
My earlier research focused on territorial politics and regionalism, parliamentary careers, and legislative behaviour.
My research combines comparative analysis, surveys of citizens and elites, interviews, electoral data, and the analysis of political communication.
Editorial and Professional Service
From 2019 to 2022, I proudly served as co-editor, together with Martin Bull, of the Italian Political Science Review, the flagship journal of the Italian political science community. From 2012 to 2018, I also coordinated the editorial board of the yearbook Politica in Italia / Italian Politics. I regularly review manuscripts for Italian and international journals and academic publishers. From 2023 to 2026, I served on the National Scientific Habilitation committee for Political Science. I am also a member of the ITANES (Italian National Election Studies) research group.
Publications
I have published articles and books on political parties, populism, elites, representation, and digital politics. My work has appeared in journals including Government & Opposition, Party Politics, Political Research Exchange, Swiss Political Science Review, South European Society and Politics, and West European Politics.
My most recent publications include studies of the political culture and evolution of Brothers of Italy, the role of party leaders in explaining support for radical-right parties, and forms of digital participation within the Five Star Movement. I am also co-author, with D. Angelucci and G. Baldini, of the forthcoming book Brothers of Italy: Identity and Pragmatism in the Italian Radical Right, to be published by Edinburgh University Press.
A complete list of my publications is available on my Google Scholar profile and in the attached curriculum vitae.
