Nuovi orientamenti di voto nella cultura civica orfana del PCI: il M5S e/o l'astensione

In the last decade Italian political scene has been marked by the presence of a new actor: the Five Stars Movement (M5S). Many observers paid particular attention upon the populist rhetoric of its leader, Beppe Grillo, interpreting this new political actor as a leader party model. However, the emphasis upon these aspects may prevent the analysis of some crucial social and political dynamics that can be instead better understood by employing some classic theories and concepts of political science. The roots of M5S are embedded in the territories with a strong communist tradition (red zone), in the period of nationalization of the Democratic Party: this process shows the strength of local political culture. Currently left-wing parties seem no longer able to represent such civic culture and the local political culture requires new referents. In this article we argue that M5S has been seen, up to the 2014 elections, as a way to bring politics back in the territory. The 2016 municipal elections seem instead to show that Movement's local vocation has been an illusion.