Italy’s political scene is dominated by three main blocs — the center-right coalition, center-left coalition and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.
The campaign itself was marked by the prime-time airing of neo-fascist rhetoric and anti-migrant violence that culminated in a shooting spree last month against six Africans. While the center-right coalition that capitalized on Italy’s anti-migrant sentiment has led the polls, analysts predict the likeliest outcome of Sunday’s vote is a hung parliament.
It’s worth noting here that the center-right and center-left coalitions are being presented as ‘everything’s normal’ politics, while the 5-Star Movement is the ‘dangerous and extreme’ group… but the center-right group is capitalizing on the anti-migrant sentiment. A brief look at M5S’s information shows they oppose career politicians, heavily support environmentalism, oppose military intervention, and are currently supportive of the EU. They also dislike immigration and have in the past opposed the EU. They’ve attempted to get into the center-left coalition within the EU parliament, but were rejected, and so remain in Farage’s coalition (for now, he’s pissed about them trying to jump ship and may kick them out).
Bottom line: M5S is not something easily reduced to right-left politics, and it’s ‘anti-establishment’ nature should not be taken as a direct analog for the Brexit or Trump fools.
Yeah, this is gonna be a serious problem.
This upsets me to the point where I haven’t been following it. We have enough to worry about here.
All I can say is that they really fucked up when they didn’t support Renzi. Now it’s going to be a fucking mess no matter which fascist-populist idiot wins and boy M5S is nothing but idiots. Idiots. The rest are fascists and Italy is already so in bed with Russia that I don’t know what hope there is.
Because they are. And stupid to boot. Look at who they run - idiots.
And you’re wrong - M5S supports withdrawal from the EU among other things. They are not the answer, @arrendis.
Never said they were. But the movement’s leadership has, both in January and February of this year, changed their position to say that the Euro, and thus the EU, are where the future lies.
Well essentially it hardly matters given the choices, although I remain utterly convinced that Populism is dangerous.
They might as well return Berlusconi to office. He’s still wildly popular in the south or was last year when I was there.
Anybody know who the Russians are supporting?
That will be announced when the polls close.
Errrrr, anybody tracking the Trolls?
forget it, jake, it’s AP
p1. Markets were expecting a hung parliament, and it looks like that’s what we’re getting. None of the three power centers can easily meet in the middle to form a government.
p2. Question on the table now is how President Matarella reacts. Not looking easy for him. One possibility is he throws everything in the air and calls another election.
p3. Italy has a technical government a lot of the time. That’s nothing really new. What’s new here is the simultaneous collapse of the neoliberal establishment across the spectrum. Lega outpacing Fi is a big deal. Collapse of the Pd is a big deal. The neoliberals were trounced. (And good riddance to them.)