From online participation to offline consensus? The declining appeal of web-democracy to Five Star Movement supporters

Beppe Grillo's Five Star Movement has a lead in the opinion polls ahead of the Italian general election in March. As Davide Vittori and Margherita de Candia explain, one of the key features of the party's rise to prominence prior to the 2013 general election was its use of online participation. However, they note that things have changed markedly in the years since, with the party experiencing a decline in the online participation of members, and a growth in its ‘offline’ presence.