Italian Politics Meet European Rigidity
Italy’s governments are mostly to blame for the country’s problems — but the EU should tread carefully.
Gambling man.
Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg
Italy’s renewed political upheaval comes at a bad time for the European Union. The latest turmoil could all too easily become a full-blown economic crisis — one that might not be confined to Italy. There’s no quick way to fix the country’s politics. But the EU can resolve, at least, to avoid making matters worse.
The latest alarm follows Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s decision to end his party’s coalition with the Five Star Movement, whose poll ratings have plummeted. Salvini intended to trigger a vote of no confidence in the government of Giuseppe Conte, an independent, and force early elections that would give his populist League, now polling near 40%, what he calls “full powers.”