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[av_heading heading=’Stirrings from Italy’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY JED JALECO DEL ROSARIO
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Sunday, March 11, 2018
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ITALY’S parliamentary elections concluded earlier this week, but its repercussions are still being discussed all over Europe.
A right wing coalition consisting of Eurosceptics, nationalists and neo-fascists managed to come out on top of the elections, followed by Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S), a somewhat anti-establishment, anti-European Union (EU), pro-social welfare party that appeals to the growing dissatisfaction in Italy. The biggest loser in the election was the pro-EU left wing coalition, which suffered their greatest defeat in years.
It’s important to point out that Italy has parliamentary system, and as such even the largest parties need to form alliances in order to get anything done. Although M5S received the most votes during the election, they have never been in a position of power. Should they compromise on some their pre-election positions, and become more “mainstream” they could potentially alienate their voter based, and undermine their own popularity.
On the right, things look very interesting. Berlusconi – who was once a powerful force in Italian politics for years – is now being overshadowed by Salvini, who is more nationalistic and certainly more populist than the former. All in all, the right wing coalition emerged victorious during the election, but their hold on power is rather tenuous, and only time will tell if they will be able to secure more political capital to maintain their momentum.
At the moment, the political situation in Italy is rather messy. No one’s sure what will happen next, but the Eurocrats are certainly running scared. Should the rightwing coalition get enough support, they will have enough power to call for a referendum to leave the EU.
Now, whether or not they will actually do this is up for debate, but it is an interesting scenario to ponder nonetheless. If Italy chooses to leave then they could potentially pull the other Mediterranean countries along for the ride, and thus, threaten the very existence of the Eurozone.
Now, none of this is certain, and there’s always the possibility that the right-wing coalition may split apart somewhere along the way, or the M5S may get coopted by more pro-EU elements. For now, though, what is certain is that Italy’s elections have strengthened nationalist and anti-EU voices in Europe, and the trend is likely to get stronger.
Also, Italy’s nationalist parties have strong ties with other European right-wing groups, and their victory will only help their allies in other European countries. Interesting times ahead for Italia. (jdr456@gmail.com/PN)
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