Italy's Far-Right Gains Strength Even in 'Leftist Strongholds'... Is the Coalition Falling Apart?

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] There are prospects that Matteo Salvini, former Deputy Prime Minister of Italy who left the government after the coalition collapse, could regain power. If the center-right Democratic Party, which currently forms the ruling coalition, loses its 'stronghold' in the local elections, Italy could once again fall into severe turmoil.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to foreign media on the 13th (local time), the far-right party Lega, led by former party leader Salvini, is showing strength in the Emilia-Romagna local elections. This region has traditionally been a stronghold of the left, but in this election, the far-right party is performing well.

Wolfgang Piccoli, CEO of consulting firm Teneo Intelligence, said, "The Emilia-Romagna election on the 26th of this month will be one of the most important political events that will determine the fate of the current ruling coalition." He added, "Since November last year, Deputy Prime Minister Salvini has been campaigning to liberate this region from the left. If Lega loses in the election, the Democratic Party will lose the symbolic heartland of the center-left. This will eventually trigger internal struggles within the Democratic Party."

After the last general election, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the far-right Lega formed a coalition government. However, former Deputy Prime Minister Salvini declared the coalition's dissolution, saying, "There is no way to narrow the policy differences with the Five Star Movement." Although an early general election was anticipated after the coalition collapse, the Five Star Movement formed a new coalition with the opposition Democratic Party, so the election has not been held. However, if the Democratic Party loses in the local elections, the coalition could again face the risk of collapse.

There is also speculation that this local election could be a test not only for the Democratic Party but also for the Five Star Movement.

Eric Jones, a professor of European Studies at Johns Hopkins University, said, "The election results could also affect the Five Star Movement. Although the Five Star Movement has not performed well in local elections so far, its current approval rating is 8%. This region is where the Five Star Movement began and entered institutional politics, so if it suffers a crushing defeat in this regional election, there could be criticism that it has lost its way."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.