Italian right surges as leftist gov't teeters | Eastern NC Now

Italy's left leaning odd fellows government is on the brink of collapse after a tiny centrist party broke with them leaving them without a majority in parliament.  A snap election for parliament is likely and the 3 party coalition of the right is expanding its lead in the polls. The alliance of   Matteo Salvini's populist nationalist right Lega, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's traditional conservative Forza Italia, and the ultra-conservative Brothers of Italy are expected to win a snap election and form a new government.  All take a very hard line position on illegal immigration and oppose further expansion of EU powers..

 

The current government consists of the left wing Democratic Party and the populist Five Star Movement, whose ideology is a mish-mash of positions of both the right and left. Before forming a coalition of convenience with them, 5 Star had for years denounced the Democratic Party as the most corrupt in Italy.  Since that odd alliance, 5 Star has been bleeding both voters and even members of parliament who have defected to the three rightist parties.

 

Last week a poll from the respected Italian polling firm Swg found a clear and growing lead for the three parties of the right, with Salvini's Lega maintaining the position it has held throughout the current government as Italy's most popular party with 23.2%.  The battle for second place is between a faltering Democratic Party at 19.4% and a surging Brothers of Italy at 17.2%.  Despite its male name, the Brothers of Italy is led by a dynamic 42 year old woman, Giorgia Meloni.  .