From a land where the people have to give their vote

Last week we arrived in La Spezia, coming from Switzerland. To go to the hired place, we had to pass a big stadium. For more than one hour and a half, we had to move the car very, very slowly, most of the time standing still. We had not taken into account the possibility of a political meeting. It was just chaos and exited people, but also cross Italians.

When visiting the small hamlets and villages in the Golf of La Spezia there were spaces foreseen for pamphlets, but most placards were empty. Only the different right-wing parties had their posters up. It looked like there are no other Italian political parties active in this northern part of Italy.

Yesterday we arrived in Lucca and will see and hear today how Italy is going to vote for a new parliament and government today.

According to the polls, Georgia Meloni, the leader of the right-wing Fratelli d’Iitalia party, is slated to become the first woman prime minister in the country’s history. Having seen several Italians their reaction about the politicians who do not seem to bring Italy ‘on order’ it could well be she’ll gets votes from all sites of the political front.

There are concerns about what this shift to the right in Italy may mean, for the country, for Europe and for the pro-Ukraine alliance.

The dearth of economic growth in Italy has long fueled discontent with the political elite and people did not like the way how the country managed the Covid pandemic, the energy crisis and inflation, due to the Ukrainian war. Lots of people are also very annoyed that their country seems to be the one which has to tackle all those immigrants entering Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea and landing in Italy.

As a result, over the past 10 years various Italian populists —  from the left and right — have surged in the polls or even gained office. A few years later, they looked much tamer and deflated. 

Still, the key question remains:

Which political leader or governing coalition can provide a pathway to a more productive future for Italy and its people?

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Preceding

Making deeper cuts than some terrorist attacks of the near past

Coronavirus on March 11 declared a global pandemic on March 31 affecting more than 177 countries

European migration policy not working

Shall skyrocketing energy prices bring down consumption

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Additional reading

1. When 1 699 676 people worldwide are infected and the number of deaths had totalled 102 734 in 210 countries or territories
2. Is Europe going to become a dictatorial bastion
3. The focus of multiculturalism in Europe on Muslims and Jews
4. Ten European nations form energy alliance
5. Fourth wave of COVID-19 a pandemic of the unvaccinated
6. Just Stop Oil is only the start of a worldwide ‘spring uprising’
7. The Telegraph’s Weekly view 2022 April 30 – May 6
8. Micromobility
9. Bloomberg’s headlights for the second week of June 2022
10. The New-York Times looking at June 16 – June 26
11. The New York Times from July 04 – July 10
12. The Independent from July 04 – July 10
13. In the picture for 2022 July 04 – July 10 by The Week
14. loomberg main messages for 04-10 July 2022
15. Bloomberg main messages for 11-17 July 2022
16. The Guardian reviewing 2022 July 18 – July 24
17. The New York Times from July 11 – July 17
18. The New York Times from July 18 – July 24
19. Our selection from Bloomberg July 18 -July 24
20. The Guardian 2022 July 25 – July 31
21. The Observer end of July 2022 overview
22. This is Europe: The Guardian looking at the chaos in Italy and Ukraine
23. The first week of August 2022 as seen by the New York Times
24. 2nd week of August 2022 by Bloomberg
25. The Guardian looking at the 4th week of August 2022
26. Economic pain for all or for the poorer majority

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Related

1. Explainer: Rightist alliance set for Italian election victory
2. As Italy votes, Pope channels the Stones: Getting what you need, not what you want
3. Old woes and new: business turmoil awaits Italy’s election winner
4. Thread about a “profligate, reform-lazy Italy”
5. Polls open in Italy, right-wing alliance seen winning
6. Italy’s far right weaponises culture in the interests of nationalism