IDM Short Insights 19: Snap elections in Italy – what does it mean for CEE?

On the 25th of September Italy is heading to snap elections. Mario Draghi was forced to resign against the impossibility to pursue a common project of government with the parties of the majority. The real winner of this political diatribe is the national-conservative party, Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) led by Giorgia Meloni, who will run at the elections together with the League of Matteo Salvini and Forza Italia of Silvio Berlusconi. What are the implications of the elections for the CEE, the EU and Europe?

The latest speculations appeared on Italian media argue that Russia might be behind the fall of the government led by the former ECB President. Regardless of the truthfulness of this information, Salvini and Berlusconi have never fully supported the line pursued by the EU when it comes to the war in Ukraine. While the electoral campaign is about to start, Brussels must be ready to face another earthquake against its democratic foundations.

IDM Short Insights 9 – Governmental crisis in Italy

Federica Mangiameli, Trainee at IDM, talks about the exit of Matteo Renzi, leader of the party Italia Viva, from the Italian government led by Giuseppe Conte. This opens a political crisis in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Was it the right moment to attempt to build a stronger coalition? And, as we have seen in various countries in Central and South East Europe, do these frequent changes of government move away voters from traditional democratic institutions?