Not a Normal Country explores Italian politics and culture in the era of Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s richest man and one of its longest serving prime ministers. Geoff Andrews argues that the ‘Berlusconi phenomenon’ was a populist response to widespread cynicism towards politics. Berlusconi posed as an ‘anti-politician’, and based his appeal on his virtues as a salesman rather than a statesman. The second part of the book discusses the varied opposition to Berlusconi. This ranges from the anti-global demonstrations in Genoa in 2001 to unconventional protests such as the Girotondo movement led by the film director Nanni Moretti. According to Andrews, this new associationism has helped rebuild Italian politics. Finally, Andrews looks to the future and, through the examples of anti-mafia protests in Sicily as well as opposition to the Americanisation of Italian culture, considers the prospects for the new post-Berlusconi Italy.

Preface and Acknowledgements
Map of Italy
Introduction: Not a Normal Country
Section One: Berlusconi and Friends
1 From Salesman to Statesman: The Postmodern Populism of Silvio Berlusconi
2 History Matters: The Battle for the Memory of Monte Sole
3 Bossi's Last Shout
Section Two: The Remaking of Politics
4 The Failure of the Italian Third Way and the Return of Ideology
5 Italy's New Opposition
6 The South Strikes Back
Section Three: Another Italy?
7 Civic Renaissance in Sicily
8 Slow Food in the Fast Lane