Abstract
How will the past year be remembered? What facts dominated South Tyrol political dynamics in 2016? The chapter presents a critical analysis of the main political events in South Tyrol in 2016, focusing on three aspects. First, it looks at the municipal elections of Bolzano/Bozen, discussing the electoral success in South Tyrol of CasaPound, the party of the so-called fascists of the new millennium. Second, the various experiences of direct and/or participatory democracy and the several related initiatives undertaken in South Tyrol are analyzed, including the consultation on the project Benko, the referendum on the airport, the process of the Convent on the Autonomy and the national referendum on the reform of the Italian Constitution. Finally, the chapter addresses the so-called refugee crisis and the threat of the Austrian government to reintroduce controls at the Brennero/Brenner border. The chapter examines these events for how they raise critical questions around continuity and change in South Tyrolean political life.