During a famous sequence in his film Aprile, the Italian director Nanni Moretti rages at the television as Silvio Berlusconi bullies a centre-left politician in debate, on his way to becoming prime minister in 1994. “React! Say something leftwing,” Mr Moretti urges the hapless socialist. “Say something that isn’t leftwing! Say anything at all!” If Mr Berlusconi’s first victorious election represented a traumatic low point for the Italian left, its current predicament is just as bleak. Last week, in regional elections in the north and south, Italy’s radical right government won even more handsomely than anticipated, albeit on a low turnout. Lombardy has always been a rightwing stronghold. But the centre-left had run the southern Lazio region for a decade.
In all, the right now runs 15 of the country’s 20 regions. Meanwhile, prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party has gained in popularity since the autumn election, and stands at 30% in the polls – almost double the dismal score of the centre-left Democratic party (PD). Ms Meloni is enjoying an extended honeymoon period, as her personal approval ratings approach 50%. A pragmatic decision broadly to stick to economic parameters set by her predecessor, Mario Draghi, has reassured the markets. Robust support for Ukraine’s resistance to Vladimir Putin has had the same effect in Brussels, on whose goodwill Italy depends for the full release of almost €200bn from the EU Covid recovery fund.
