Moment of truth for Italy’s Five Star Movement as ‘Gigi’s’ party peaks in polls
Luigi Di Maio is so confident his populist Five Star Movement (M5S) will triumph in today’s Italian elections that he has already presented his would-be cabinet.
In what he called an “act of transparency”, the impeccably groomed 31-year-old politician named his dream team, which includes an economist, a criminologist, a doctor and an Olympic gold medallist, three days before the election.
Brushing off rivals who ridiculed the move, he boasted: “We will be the ones laughing on Monday, when Italians will probably take us to 40%.”
Voting began in Italy on Sunday morning and polls will close at 11pm.
M5S will almost certainly emerge as the biggest single party, but with final opinion polls putting it on roughly 28% (and some pollsters suggesting it might secure an even higher vote), it is unlikely to reach the 40% required for a majority and to govern alone. To steer into power it would have to flout a rule sacred to its origins and form a coalition, a scenario already rejected by the party’s founder, the irreverent comedian Beppe Grillo, and those devoted to its anti-establishment principles.
But however things pan out, pundits are starting to wonder whether the elections will make or break a party whose phenomenal growth since its inception in 2009 has been boosted by mounting public anger and distrust of the political elite.
“It probably is a ‘now or never’ moment,” said Mattia Diletti, a political scientist at Sapienza University, Rome. “They will perform strongly, but if they have to rule with another party I’m pretty sure there will be tension within the movement.”
Di Maio, who is as cryptic as the party he represents, played a shrewd game by announcing his ministerial line-up early. Apart from capturing media attention, it allowed him to counter claims that M5S officials are incompetent and at the same time appease ardent supporters with an “anti-politician” list.
In what he called an “act of transparency”, the impeccably groomed 31-year-old politician named his dream team, which includes an economist, a criminologist, a doctor and an Olympic gold medallist, three days before the election.
Brushing off rivals who ridiculed the move, he boasted: “We will be the ones laughing on Monday, when Italians will probably take us to 40%.”
Voting began in Italy on Sunday morning and polls will close at 11pm.
M5S will almost certainly emerge as the biggest single party, but with final opinion polls putting it on roughly 28% (and some pollsters suggesting it might secure an even higher vote), it is unlikely to reach the 40% required for a majority and to govern alone. To steer into power it would have to flout a rule sacred to its origins and form a coalition, a scenario already rejected by the party’s founder, the irreverent comedian Beppe Grillo, and those devoted to its anti-establishment principles.
But however things pan out, pundits are starting to wonder whether the elections will make or break a party whose phenomenal growth since its inception in 2009 has been boosted by mounting public anger and distrust of the political elite.
“It probably is a ‘now or never’ moment,” said Mattia Diletti, a political scientist at Sapienza University, Rome. “They will perform strongly, but if they have to rule with another party I’m pretty sure there will be tension within the movement.”
Di Maio, who is as cryptic as the party he represents, played a shrewd game by announcing his ministerial line-up early. Apart from capturing media attention, it allowed him to counter claims that M5S officials are incompetent and at the same time appease ardent supporters with an “anti-politician” list.
Source: theguardian
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