Weeks after the Italian elections, interpretations still abound as to why traditional parties have been so humiliated by the electorate and replaced by populist parties that still have to prove that they can indeed govern. There were, of course, winners and losers in the March 4 election.
The big winners were the populist parties Movimento Cinque Stelle (M5S) and the Lega. Both parties are anti-EU and anti-euro. One thing they have in common is that they are experts in exploiting the widespread frustration of millions of people who are fed up with an inept political class under whose stewardship economic growth was sluggish; unemployment, especially among younger generations, is among the highest in Europe, while organised crime and corruption remain mostly unchallenged.
I consider the Italian people as among the winners of this election. They have shown that they do not want more of the same from traditional parties and are prepared to provoke a political crisis, hoping that perhaps this time around things will begin to change.
I have seen some comments by political analysts claiming that the success of the M5S in the south is less revolutionary than it seems. These analysts insist that Italy is still deeply divided between the prosperous north – that believes in strong work ethics – and the poor south, where people still favour a culture of dependence on political patronage and state intervention to get by.
Many believe that M5S indeed shows it is still attached to the shady values of the patronising strategies of the now-defunct Christian Democratic Party.
The big losers in this election have been the Partito Democratico and Forza Italia. The European social democrats have lost their soul, as has been demonstrated in the last elections in Germany and Italy. They no longer feel they are the defenders of the working and middle classes. Many ordinary people believe that they are more intent on enjoying the sheltered life characterised by frequently travelling to Brussels for ‘important’ meetings, wining and dining with the rich and powerful on the pretext of building networks that will ultimately favour investment, and find jobs for their cronies.
Italy and the EU are in for an awkward phase as political horse-trading continues until a new government is formed
Matteo Renzi came to power like a ray of hope for Italian politics. At one time his party enjoyed a 40 per cent support among the electorate. But he suffered from one of the maladies of some young politicians: arrogance, disrespect for older politicians and a burning ambition to roll over anyone who stands in his way. In the end, like many failed politicians, he will realise that most political careers eventually end in failure.
Forza Italia, the centre-right party created by Silvio Berlusconi from the ashes of the Democrazia Cristiana, was also cut down to size by the electorate. The professional salesman and convicted tax evader this time around failed to convince the Italians that, like him, they could all become rich if only they supported his party.
The traditional centre-right and centre-left of Italian politics may never recover from this humiliating defeat.
So, what is the likelihood of Italy having a stable government that once again will inspire hope in ordinary people about their future?
If Italy remains ungovernable, it is more because of a dysfunctional political class rather than a masochistic electorate that enjoys political fragmentation. As in practically all EU countries, Italy suffers from a scarcity of political leaders across the political spectrum.
Social democratic values that moderate parties of the left and the right treasured, failed to come up with practical solutions to the problems left over by decades of globalisation. The flood of immigrants from the south and the east aggravated the frustration of people who witnessed the inability of their political leaders to guarantee them the jobs and the services they need to live decently.
This political ineptitude at the member state level is compounded by a political bureaucracy in Brussels that remains isolated from the concerns of ordinary people who see the quality of their lives deteriorate.
Italy and the EU are in for an awkward phase as political horse-trading continues until a new government is formed. Much-needed economic and social reform will again be postponed as new elections will loom when a likely weak government begins to falter.
Italy is not like Greece. It is one of the larger member states. The unemployment, immigration and lack of investment challenges remain wide open and nowhere near being solved. There is little or no guidance from the European Commission.
Italian politics will soon become even more dramatic.
johncassarwhite@yahoo.com