The organization of Brothers of Italy: an activist and centralized party led by a “mother in the family”

Despite growing scholarly attention, little is known about Brothers of Italy’s (FdI) organizational structure and functioning. Through semi-structured interviews with 21 FdI representatives, this paper addresses this gap by offering a unique ‘insider’ perspective on the party, shedding light on crucial aspects of its internal dynamics. The analysis explores how the party attracts members, the interplay between physical and digital activism, motivations for joining, its political community, leadership, and internal democracy. The findings reveal that, like many other populist radical right (PRR) parties across Europe, FdI is highly hierarchical and combines elements of both activist and mass parties, with some distinctive traits.