Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1480113
9 NEWS ANALYSIS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 28 SEPTEMBER 2022 doubts persist on his own past ties with Vladimir Putin. But despite his persistence and political lucidity, Berlus- coni is now a pale shadow of his former self as his party has been supplanted by a strong- er and more right-wing force. Ironically Fratelli d' Italia is the heir of Alleanza Nazionale, which Berlusconi had accepted as a coalition partner in 1994, rescuing it from the political wilderness. In short, this is also a lesson for centre-right par- ties who flirt with the far right to win power, only to end up being swallowed whole by their former allies. Another loser which did bet- ter than expected in the polls was Guiseppe Conte, whose Cinque Stelle still lost a stag- gering 18 points since 2018 but avoided obliteration thanks to a late surge in support in southern regions, which in- clude the highest number of beneficiaries of the Italian cit- izenship income – a supple- ment for the unemployed and low-wage earnrs – which Con- te has vowed to defend. By securing over 15% of the vote, Conte's party remains in- dispensable for the creation of a centre-left alternative which can eventually overcome the right wing. Plans to scrap the 'citizenship income' along with the introduction of a flat-tax rate which favours the more well off, may well galvanize Conte's brand of populism in- fused with social justice. More- over Letta's resignation may pave the way for a new PD leadership which is more open to an alliance with Conte. Time to go in opposition The clearest loser of the elec- tion was the Democratic Par- ty. Although the party has re- tained the same support as in 2018, this was already a histor- ic low for the party which in- herited the mantle of the both the Communist Party and left wing of the Christian Demo- cratic Party. Moreover, the party failed to secure a wide alliance with the Cinque Stelle which would have given it a fighting chance. It also failed to capture the im- agination of non-voters in an election which has seen turn- out shrink to 64%. In short, the party may well have been punished for participating in a number of governments which were not directly elected in elections but were created through post-election arrange- ments. The result also suggests that the left cannot simply win by presenting itself as the decent and competent alternative to the far right. It also has to offer a better prospect in life to the masses. But if the right wing flops on the economy, the Democrats may well be seen once more as the adults in the room. But that hope may keep the party from focusing on reconnecting itself to voters, something which it can only do from the opposi- tion. The party's former leader Matteo Renzi, allied with Carlo Calenda – another ex-Demo- crat – only managed to siphon votes from the left without harming the right. And while this new centrist outfit gar- nered a respectable 7%, it failed in its declared mission of be- coming kingmaker in a hung parliament scenario. In the centre-left, the Greens in al- liance with the Left (Sinistra) have returned to the Italian parliament for the first time since 2008 after securing 3.5% of the vote; while Emma Bon- ino – the protagonist of major civil rights battles over the past 50 years – has missed out on parliamentary representation for her party by a whisker. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt losers, and survivors JUDGING by the results of last Sunday's election, Italians living in Malta are more right wing than those living in the rest of Europe, even if they tend to be less right wing than voters living in Italy. Only 2,148 of 7,600 Italian voters registered in Malta ac- tually voted in last Sunday's election, in an indication that most Italian voters living here are apathetic about the politi- cal situation back home. While nearly 48% of Ital- ian voters living in European countries voted for the cen- tre-left parties, only 32% of Italians living in Malta did likewise. And while only 28.4% of Italians living in other Euro- pean countries voted for the right-wing coalition, the per- centage rises to 40% in Mal- ta. But support for the right is more pronounced in Italy itself where nearly 44% voted for the right-wing coalition. In an indication that Ital- ians in Malta are more likely to hail from the southern re- gions, support for the Movi- mento Cinque Stelle party is higher in Malta than in the rest of Europe and in Italy it- self. In fact support for the move- ment led by Giuseppe Conte peaked in southern regions like Campagna (34%), Sicily (29%) and Puglia (28%) but fell to just 7% in Lombardy. While the right-wing coali- tion presented one single list including all parties in the co- alition, voters in Malta could choose between the different parties of the centre-left. Italians living in Malta were more likely than those living in Italy to vote for the Green/ Left alliance and Emma Bon- ino's More Europe. While both lists scored 7% each in Malta, in Italy itself only 3.5% voted for the Greens while 3% voted for More Europe. 40% of Italians in Malta chose right- wing coalition Only 28% of Italians living in Malta vote in elections. Results suggest that Italians living in Malta are more right wing then those living in the rest of Europe. Support for Cinque Stelle among Italians living in Malta is higher than in rest of Europe Clockwise from top left: Giuseppe Conte (Movimento Cinque Stelle), Enrico Letta (PD), Luigi Di Maio (Impegno Civico), Matteo Renzi (Italia Viva) with Carlo Calenda (Azione) and Emma Bonino (+Europa) Centre-left Right-wing Cinque Stelle Azione/Italia Viva 32.2% 48% 26.1% 39.7% 28.4% 43.8% 19.7% 11.6% 15.4% 7.5% 8.8% 7.8% Malta All Europe Election result