Italy's election poses more questions than it answers

When Italians wake up on Monday morning it is very likely that they will have no idea who their next prime minister will be, even after every ballot has been counted.

While analysts said yesterday they were prepared for surprises, most anticipated that the results would end in deadlock, and set off a period of intense negotiations in Rome that would aim to cobble together a government by the end of March.

Sergio Mattarella, the Italian president who is supposed to play a neutral role and must give his blessing to the new government, would lead the talks.

Traditionally, a grand coalition – like a forced marriage of rivals – could be brought together relatively easily by joining the country’s two big traditional parties, the centre-left Democratic Party led by Matteo Renzi, and Forza Italia on the right led by Silvio Berlusconi.


But those traditional parties are not expected to have enough support on their own to create parliamentary majority, according to early results. Exit polls and early projects on Monday morning revealed that as many as 50% of Italian voters supported populist parties.

The Five Star Movement, once laughed off as merely a protest party, is expected to emerge as the single biggest party, with up to 33% of the vote. La Lega, previously known as the Northern League, also appeared to have performed better than expected.

Those parties, once seen as fringe movements, will likely have to play a role in whatever coalition is created for the new government in order for it to look reflective of the election results, analysts say. The calculation is complicated in large part because the Five Star Movement has always traditionally said it would not take part in a coalition government.

Source: theguardian