5Stars pin hopes on moderate leader

Author (Person)
Series Title
Series Details 25.09.17
Publication Date 25/09/2017
Content Type

Backgrouynd
One of the most important developments in Italian politics in recent years has been the emergence of the Five Star Movement, led by Beppe Grillo, which secured over a quarter of the vote share in the 2013 Italian general election.

However, in local elections in Italy held on the 12 June 2017, which were considered a litmus test for parliamentary elections due in the autumn of 2017 or spring of 2018, there were signs of major losses for the populist Five-Star-Movement (M5S).

There were elections in 1,005 of the country's towns, villages and cities, including four regional capitals: L'Aquila, Catanzaro, Palermo, and Genoa.

In 2016, the party had conquered the town halls of Rome and Turin, while the governing Partito Democratico fared poorly. Many Italian newspapers report as good news that the tide seems to be turning.Italy's populist 5-Star Movement (M5S) held an electronic primary election on the 21-22 September 2017 to select a new leader to take the party into the forthcoming general election in Italy.

The clear winner was the 31 year old Luigi Di Maio

The election was likely to take place in the spring of 2018.

The new leader told AFP on the 24 September 2017 that the party did not want to leave the European Union but change the rules. This was seen as a softening of the Eurosceptic line taken by founding leader Beppe Grillo and other M5S figures.

The development took place at the same time as former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was back in the political arena again after announcing in September 2017 that he wanted to lead his party Forza Italia in the forthcoming elections

Source Link http://www.politico.eu/article/5stars-pin-hopes-on-moderate-leader/
Related Links
The Conversation, 11.10.17: There’s an election in Italy next year – and M5S has some familiar problems https://theconversation.com/theres-an-election-in-italy-next-year-and-m5s-has-some-familiar-problems-85492
ESO: Background information: A slap in the face for Grillo's Movimento 5 Stelle http://www.europeansources.info/record/a-slap-in-the-face-for-grillos-movimento-5-stelle/
The Local.it, 23.09.17: Italian populists to unveil 5-Star candidate for PM https://www.thelocal.it/20170923/italian-populists-to-unveil-5-star-candidate-for-pm
The Local.it, 24.09.17: Di Maio: the face of populists eyeing power in Italy https://www.thelocal.it/20170924/di-maio-the-face-of-populists-eyeing-power-in-italy
The Local.it, 25.09.17: New Five Star Movement leader: 'We want to stay in the EU' https://www.thelocal.it/20170925/new-five-star-movement-leader-says-the-party-wants-italy-to-stay-in-eu
ESO: Find further information in ESO on the Five Star Movement http://www.europeansources.info/advSearchLink?keyword=italy%20five%20star%20movement%20&searchOption=all
Wikipedia: Five Star Movement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Star_Movement
Deutsche Welle, 23.09.17: Luigi Di Maio: The populist leader eyeing victory in Rome http://p.dw.com/p/2kaHn
EurActiv, 25.09.17: New leader of Italian populists touts EU reform, not exit http://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/new-leader-of-italian-populists-touts-eu-reform-not-exit/

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