In the 2006 elections, the Italian
expatriate vote helped provide the centre-left coalition led by Romano Prodi a
slender but winning majority. Italian expatriates in Australia voted by post
and for the first time elected their two representatives in the Italian
Parliament. This book explores and analyses the divergent views of the Italian
expatriate vote, which for some is a ‘democratic right’, for others a
‘democratic wrong’, and others again ‘political opportunism’. This study is based
on fresh data and literature, opinions and comments gathered from eligible
voters as well as players and practitioners in the field of migrant politics.
"... Mascitelli and Battiston’s book is a
welcome and timed contribution that is casting light on many aspects of the
political behaviour and aspirations of Italians in Australia and on the future
of this experiment in transnational political participation. As such, it is a
pioneering [and] ground-breaking piece of research"
- Dr. Gianfranco Cresciani (June 2008)
Bruno Mascitelli is senior lecturer in Italian and European Studies at Swinburne
University of Technology, Melbourne. His research areas include twentieth
century Italian and European history, political economy, and the issue of the
Italian expatriate vote.
Simone Battiston is Cassamarca lecturer in Italian and Head of the Italian Studies
Program at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. His research
interests include the migrant political and socio-economic contribution to
post-war Australia, the history of the Italian-Australian community and the
Italian expatriate vote.
