ITALY: BOOM OF THE POPULISTS

Conversation with

Gerhard Mumelter, former correspondent for RAI South Tyrol and Der Standard in Rome
Tonia Mastrobuoni, La Repubblica correspondent in Berlin

Moderation
Lorenz Gallmetzer, South Tyrolean journalist and author

The triumph of populist and anti-EU parties in the parliamentary elections at the beginning of March makes the formation of a stable government in Italy seem almost impossible. President Sergio Mattarella, who has far greater powers than in Austria, has called on the three different political camps and parties to compromise. Otherwise, he can appoint a transitional government of so-called technicians to hold new elections in 2019.
The previously governing social-liberal Partito Democratico (PD), which was extremely weakened in the elections, rejects any coalition with the right-wing alliance as well as with the Movimento 5 Stelle (M5s - Five Star Movement). It seems doubtful that the two populist election winners will be able to agree on the numerically necessary coalition.
Following Brexit and a weakened Angela Merkel, the Italian dilemma means additional uncertainty for Europe. This is because both the winner within the Roman right-wing alliance, the anti-foreigner and anti-EU Lega, and the M5s have already announced that they are not in favour of continuing the austerity policy. On the contrary: both are calling for fundamental EU treaties to be renegotiated. Together, they have more than 65 per cent of the votes in the parliament of the EU's third-largest economic power. A heavy burden for Emmanuel Macron's ambitious EU reform plans.