Municipalism

Municipalism is an approach to implementing social change which focuses on using the municipality as the vehicle for implementing change without necessarily challenging either the political ideology or the legal structures of the state as a whole.

The origins of municipalism

Although, as an approach, it has been adopted by such diverse political groupings as Catholics, Protestants, liberals and marxists, it emerged in Europe as something which developed in the socialist parties. In 1881 the French Socialist Party won control of Commentry. In subsequent municipal elections the increased the number of municipalities they controlled to 70 in 1892, and then over 100 in 1896. Meanwhile, in Italy, changes in electoral laws enabled the Italian Socialist Party to gain its first municipality, Imola, under the leadership of Andrea Costa.