More than 50 million Italians are called to the polls this Sunday to elect their parliament, an election threatened by bad weather, and where the extreme right should come into force and propose the prime minister who will succeed Mario Draghi.
Even before the polls opened at 7 am, people were lining up under a dark sky. Voting will end at 11 pm, when the first exit polls will give an overview of the results.
“The party is over”
At just 45 years old, Giorgia Meloni, leader of the post-fascist Fratelli d’Italia party, credited with almost a quarter of the vote in recent polls, is the favorite to head a coalition government in which the far right largely dominates. to the classic Correct.
An earthquake of the magnitude of Italy, the founding country of Europe and the third largest economy in the euro zone, but also of the EU, which should deal with this ideologue close to the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.
“In Europe everyone is worried about seeing Meloni in government (…) The party is over, Italy will begin to defend its national interests,” he warned during his campaign
Ex-Fan of Mussolini
This former fan of Mussolini, whose motto is “God, country, family”, managed to demonize her party and catalyze in her name the discontent and frustrations of her compatriots by camping out in the opposition while all the other parties supported the government of Mario Draghi National unity.
But mass is not said: “unpredictable, elections are played out of emotion and at the last moment”, recalls Emiliana De Blasio, professor of sociology at the Luiss University of Rome, while highlighting the key role of the undecided, dear by about 20%. , and the importance of the final participation rate.
Les scores du Mouvement 5 Etoiles (M5S, ex-antisystème), credit d’avoir instituted a minimum income for the poorest, et du Parti démocrate (PD, gauche), well implanted locally, pourraient réserver des surprises, notamment dans le sud From the country.
A complex internal situation
Whichever government emerges from the elections, which will not take office until the end of October, its path already seems to be strewn with obstacles.
It will have to manage the crisis caused by rising prices while Italy crumbles under a debt that represents 150% of GDP, the highest proportion in the euro zone behind Greece. In this context, the windfall of the European post-pandemic recovery plan, of which Italy is by far the first beneficiary, will be essential to keep the peninsula afloat.
“Italy cannot afford to deprive itself of these sums of money”, observes historian Marc Lazar, for which he judges “Meloni’s room for maneuver” on the economy to be “very limited”. On the other hand, he could take on Brussels along with Warsaw and Budapest “on issues of defending the national interest in relation to European interests.”
Like the French Marine Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni has finally given up on leaving the euro, but calls for a “review of the Stability Pact rules”, suspended due to the health crisis, which set a ceiling of 3% of GDP for the deficit and 60% for debt.
Ultraconservative on social issues
On social issues, this pure Roman is ultraconservative: “Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby! Yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology! Yes to the culture of life, no to the abyss of death!”. ”, proclaimed in June who also promises to fight “against the Islamization of Europe”.
His rise to power would also result in the blockade of the country, where tens of thousands of migrants disembark each year, a prospect that worries NGOs rescuing ships fleeing poverty in Africa.
Although Italy’s governmental instability is legendary, experts already agree on the short life expectancy of this coalition where Giorgia Meloni will have a lot to do to manage her cumbersome allies, be it the indestructible Silvio Berlusconi or the anti-immigrant tribune Matteo Salvini.
Source: BFM TV
