Does the post-fascism of the ideology of Fratelli d’Italia (FdI) retain core elements of fascism despite its ostentatious alignment with contemporary liberal-democratic norms? My research examines whether FdI’s ideology retains core elements of fascism despite its alignment with contemporary liberal-democratic norms. Specifically, I am investigating how concepts like the nation, the people, and the state are utilised and adapted within the party's framework, and whether these adaptations enable it to operate within democratic institutions while potentially influencing their long-term stability. To investigate this, I apply Freeden’s conceptual morphology, which sees ideology as a ubiquitous political practice composed of fundamental concepts. Integrating Leader Maynard’s levels of ideological generalization, I propose a methodological framework that moves beyond restrictive and inclusive definitions of ideology to better assess how fascism evolves and adapts. This study examines FdI’s political language, comparing it with historical manifestations of fascism and neo-fascism in Italy. My research is based on primary empirical sources covering the time frame 2012-24, analysing the party broadly – including speeches, policy documents, and other texts – to determine its ideological positioning. To systematically assess these materials, I employ qualitative content analysis within the broader framework of Lindberg’s ideological analysis. Comparing FdI's political language with that of actors from the movement phase of Italian fascism (1919-22), the National Fascist Party (PNF – Partito Nazionale Fascista, 1922-43), the Fascist Republican Party (PFR – Partito Fascista Repubblicano, 1943-45), or the Italian Social Movement (MSI – Movimento Sociale Italiano, 1945-94) allows to account for the significant contextual changes that have shaped Western societies after the end of World War II, and it ensures that the ideology of a party – FdI – usually considered to pertain to the ideological subfamily of post-fascism, is properly assessed in relation to the broader ideological family of fascism. In conclusion, my research underscores the importance of recognising fascism as a central political ideology throughout modern political history, not merely confined to the interwar period. A dynamic and synthesizing approach, focused on reconstructing the conceptual morphology of its historical and country-specific manifestations, is essential for understanding the increasing threat posed by 21st-century proponents of fascism, irrespective of their self-identification.

• Populism and Fascism Theory
• Ideology Studies
• Fascism and Right-Wing Extremism
• Democratic Theory
• European Politics and Euroscepticism