why_the_coming_elections_won’t_cure_italys_problems.pdf |
(Politico) Italy was headed for a hung parliament after Sunday’s election put Silvio Berlusconi‘s center-right coalition first but without a clear majority and made the anti-establishment 5Star Movement the largest single party, according to early results.
Europe's months of electoral showdowns between mainstream and populist parties have ended with the establishment weakened in Germany and defeated in Italy – and trouble brewing for both countries. The weekend’s events capped a year of elections in which the EU’s broadly centrist governing establishment faced its strongest-ever challenges from insurgent movements, ranging from far-right nationalists to far-left anticapitalists.
quoting Josef Joffe via Reuters
Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) have bought Chancellor Angela Merkel time with their vote to join her conservatives in another coalition, but she risks losing her long grip on power if she fails to balance the awkward allies’ conflicting demands.