Tough times in Italy but Monti keeps on winning

Mario Monti may have to battle unions and bickering political parties in his attempts to galvanise Italy through austerity measures and reforms, but he remains popular with ordinary Italians.

A poll by the Demos & Pi research institute this week found that the popularity rating for Prof. Monti – who took over from the billionaire media magnate Silvio Berlusconi in November – is a strong 62 per cent.

Support for the grey-haired technical leader has remained strong in his first four months of power despite tax hikes, spending cuts, pension reforms, liberalisation packages and now a contentious plan to overhaul labour laws.

“Even if a majority of the population are against changes (to the labour law), it is not enough to substantially alter opinions on the “technocrat” government,” Italian sociologist Ilvo Diamanti from Demos & Pi said.

The Corriere della Sera newspaper said Prof. Monti is “gaining points by showing that he is carrying out reforms demanded by European institutions”.

After years of embarrassment on the international stage under gaffe-prone Berlusconi, Italians relish the softly spoken Prof. Monti’s diplomatic skills and credit him with saving the country from following Greece into financial meltdown.

According to Demos & Pi, 60 per cent of Italians find the former eurocrat and his team of technical ministers better at running the country than politicians.

Prof. Monti’s persistent popularity is due to the fact that “voters disappointed with Mr Berlusconi see how the premier is addressing promises which were not kept by the magnate,” political analyst Marc Lazar said.

Italians were also attracted by “his learning and his truthful speeches” in which, unlike Mr Berlusconi, he has laid bare the dire state of Italy’s finances.

Confidence in political parties, meanwhile, has dropped to a historic low of four per cent. According to Renato Mannheimer, a specialist in polls, “there is little desire for elections because one Italian in two does not know who to vote for”.

A string of recent scandals in the political sphere – with media reports of widespread corruption and illegal party funding – has done little to help.

In Rome, the former treasurer of the centralist Margherita party is accused of having filched €25 million from the party’s coffers to fund luxury holidays in the Bahamas.

The left-wing mayor of Bari in southern Italy pleaded for forgiveness after accepting oysters and exotic hairy clams from a construction firm – so many that his wife had to stash them on ice in the bath.

Italy is “seeing a breakdown in the political system following a rupture between traditional alliances on both the left and right, and internal troubles in the Democratic Party (PD) and People of Freedom party (PDL),” said Mr Lazar.

The PDL – founded by Mr Berlusconi – is suffering from identity issues after its leader’s fall from grace.

Within the Democratic Party meanwhile, there are growing divisions over labour reform. The party also lacks a charismatic leader for the next elections, due in 2013.

Local elections in May will provide an early snapshot of the health of Italian politics. The candidate list – which boasts sport celebrities and porn stars – already implies a move away from traditional politics.

In the meantime, seven out of 10 Italians, according to Demos & Pi, want Monti to extend his reforms beyond the economy to the justice system, the electoral system and RAI public television service.

Considering the widespread outcry against technocrats in government when Prof. Monti came to power, it is perhaps even more surprising that 27 per cent of ordinary Italians hope the former eurocrat will run in the 2013 elections.