Far-Right on the Offensive: Public Sphere Responses to the Extremist Attack in Macerata,Italy

Abstract

This article examines public sphere responses to a far-right attack in Macerata, Italy, just before the 2018 national elections. Adopting a deliberative democratic perspective, we conduct a qualitative content analysis of newspaper articles discussing the attack. Our findings reveal a limited capacity for democratic resilience. The communication following the attack was neither reflective nor inclusive, despite the unanimous rejection of political violence by all political actors. The public debate was heavily influenced by the attacker’s views and those of his associates, while victims were marginalized. This was facilitated by far-right leaders who downplayed the attack’s significance and strategically exploited extremist ideas to advance their own political agendas during the heated electoral campaign. The response underscores a context with a powerful ascent of the far-right, including their extremist and violent manifestations, where liberal democratic institutions hold but deliberative qualities shrink.