Mafia Expansion: The 'Ndrangheta in Established Democracies

Only a handful of mafia organisations exist in the world today. Yet, they wield significant influence, having extended their reach into the United States, Australia, and nearly all European countries. Scholars have often associated mafia presence with a state's ability and willingness to govern effectively when faced with social disorganisation, economic recession, and chronic distrust. Why, then, have seemingly stable democracies witnessed mafia expansion – and with what consequences?

Based on fieldwork across three countries and a unique collection of primary sources on one of the world’s most widespread mafias, this talk will present key insights from the book Mafia Expansion: The ‘Ndrangheta in Established Democracies. First, it shows that mafia expansion takes different forms, offering a typology to capture this variation. Second, it highlights the troubling proximity between state institutions, society, and mafiosi, a convergence long recognised as central to mafia resilience in traditional strongholds but assumed to be absent in contexts of democratic stability, social trust, and the rule of law. The talk concludes with a reflection on the consequences for democracy, as institutions struggle to respond effectively to organised crime.

Zora L. Hauser is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Institute of Criminology and a Research Associate at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge. Her research examines criminal governance and illicit markets, with a particular focus on their interaction with states and societies. Zora’s recent book, Mafia Expansion: The ‘Ndrangheta in Established Democracies (OUP 2025), explores how – and with what consequences – organised crime takes root in contexts where conditions for its resilience do not obtain in theory. Currently, she investigates diplomacy in the underworld, researching conflict and peace with and among criminal groups. Her approach combines theory-driven, analytical inquiry with empirical research. Zora holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she is an associate member of the Department of Sociology and Nuffield College. She completed her BA and MA studies in political science and international relations at LUISS University, Rome