Elections in Italy: Why They Matter for Europe and the World


My latest article on Impakter, here's the opening:



Imagine the following result from the March 4 vote in Italy: either the populist Five Star Movement led by young Luigi Di Maio (he’s 31) or the conservative right coalition, led by Berlusconi (he’s 81) and firebrand Salvini, gets an absolute majority.

What happens next? The pro-European left coalition, with the Democratic Party (PD) in the lead plus various small parties, notably Emma Bonino’s +Europe, is sent in the opposition. The head of the current government, Paolo Gentiloni and the PD secretary, Matteo Renzi, both go home.


From Left to right: M5S Leader Luigi Di Maio; Silvio Berluconi (right coalition); Matteo Renzi  (left coalition, PD leader)  SOURCE: WIKI COMMONS

In either case, Europe, already weakened by Brexit and threatened by the rise of “illiberal democracies” on its Eastern front (in Hungary and Poland), would be shaken to its foundation.

Why?

To find out and read the rest, click here.

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