Italians hold their general election on Sunday. The Five Star Movement (M5S) has been leading in the polls all year. The problem is this lead likely won't translate into a parliamentary majority. Conventional wisdom is that the Berulsconi-led right-wing coalition, which includes the Northern League, will form a government. But it is unclear to me that they will have the votes.
One thing seems certain. Matteo Renzi and the establishment Democratic Party will do poorly. This continues the trend across Europe where the mainstream political left is collapsing. U.S. Democrats should take note.
Also on Sunday results of a membership vote will be announced in Germany as to whether the Social Democratic Party (SPD) should renew its grand coalition (Groko) with the Christian Democrats.
Given the stakes of both the Italian election and SPD Groko referendum the lack of coverage in "the newspaper of record" has been noteworthy. Peter Goodman wrote a good story for the business page the other day, "Italy Is Having an Election. Most Italians Are Too Depressed to Care." The elements of malaise he describes -- youth unemployment; long-term joblessness; lean, capital-intensive production; political apathy -- could be applied to any Western nation.
One thing can be gleaned from NYT's sparse Italian reporting, even from the sneering Jason Horowitz -- M5S is on the rise.
The Times doesn't have a Macron to fluff in Italy or Germany. So rather than really report on what is happening -- we live in an age when there is remarkable broad-based disdain for the governing political parties and said parties are collapsing -- the Times mostly prefers to say nothing.
Which says a lot.
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