The right-wing coalition, led by former Italian Prime Minister and League party leader Matteo Salvini, has recently won regional elections in Umbria, Italy, capturing an outstanding 57% of the vote. Despite the apparent marginality of such regional elections (Umbria is a small region with a population of about 900,000), these results may affect the unity of the left-wing national government and Italy’s political future.
First of all, Umbria has been governed by a left-wing government for more than 50 years and has always represented, alongside with regions like Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, the left-wing heart of Italy. This change thus represents an historical change for the entire national community, and indicates that national faith in such left-wing parties like the Democratic Party (PD) and the Five Stars Movement (M5S) is in deep crisis.
In particular, M5S took home just 7.4 percent (even less than the smaller, far-right Brothers of Italy), after the 30% of votes it got in 2018, during national elections.
Secondly, these results may represent a severe blow to the national government coalition M5S-PD. This new coalition formed in August, after League party was ejected from office, following Salvini’s failed attempt to bring about snap general elections.
Umbria’s elections were the first electoral test for the new government alliance (the two parties were present in a single electoral list), and represents a severe failure for the coalition. Right-wing parties leaders Salvini and Giorgia Meloni had already asked for new parliamentary elections, over the last months, and now their demand has gained more strenght than ever.
Salvini has praised the new elected president of Umbria Donatella Tesei, while Meloni directly attacked the prime minister: “If I was Conte, I’d hand in my resignation faster than light”.
While government parties are trying to get over the defeat, then upcoming regional elections in Emilia-Romagna will definitely tip the national political balance.
#Peace.Love.Umbria
