Movementization beyond movement-parties: the Italian Democratic Party under Elly Schlein

This article examines processes of movementization within the Italian Democratic Party (Partito Democratico, PD), the main established centre-left party in Italy. While existing research has largely focused on movement-parties as outsider or challenger actors, comparatively less attention has been paid to how mainstream parties selectively adopt movement-like characteristics. Drawing on recent scholarship on party responses to political disaffection through movementization, the study explores whether and how the PD has incorporated features typically associated with social movements. Adopting a qualitative case study design, the analysis focuses on three key dimensions of movementization: organizational structure, political discourse, and repertoires of action. The empirical investigation employs a multi-method qualitative approach based on three primary sources: the PD’s official statutes, public speeches by party leader Elly Schlein, and semi-structured interviews with party officials and grassroots members. The findings indicate that movementization within the PD unfolds asymmetrically: movement-like practices are evident in some arenas, while others remain largely unchanged. This pattern contributes to debates on party transformation by showing that uneven forms of movementization can emerge even within established parties undergoing phases of internal redefinition.