Posted on 12/02/2016 7:42:27 PM PST by aquila48
Italy’s prime minister, Matteo Renzi, only 41, once seemed to have solved the riddle of how to survive Europe’s populist, anti-establishment tempest. But with a critical national referendum on Sunday, the populist wave is now threatening to crush him and plunge Italy into a political crisis when the European Union is already reeling.
From Washington to Brussels to Berlin, fears are rising that Italy may be stumbling into its own “Brexit” moment. What should be an inward-looking referendum on whether to overhaul Italy’s ossified political and electoral system has taken on much broader import. Financial analysts warn of a potential banking crisis, and pro-Europe supporters fear that a “no” vote in the referendum could accelerate the populist movement across the European bloc.
Italy is potentially the next domino to fall, partly because of the disillusionment of young voters. They have been swept up by many of the same forces that led peers in Spain and Greece to vote for upstart parties, the British to vote to leave the European Union, and Americans to elect Donald J. Trump. In France, President François Hollande announced on Thursday that he would not seek re-election — another establishment figure succumbing to the political moment.
Mr. Renzi’s supporters have taken to calling his opponents in the internet-born, populist Five Star Movement “Trumpisti.” They accuse their opponents’ numerous blogs and websites of flooding the Facebook accounts of young people with anti-Renzi, pro-Russian fake news. The referendum has essentially become a referendum on Mr. Renzi, who gave extra motivation to his political enemies by vowing to resign if voters reject the proposed political changes.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The Trump Tsunami continues...
It’s Italy. What have they had, 50 different governments since WW2? (too lazy to google it, dynachrome)
I like how the Times attempts to gloss over the fact that the ‘reform’ proposed is one that removes more power from the people in the name of ‘the elites know better.’
I was thinking along the lines of “ItalGO”
Only the MSM and NYT would view this as a political crisis..
The NY Times headline is outrageously biased.
“Anger” mind you.
Not zeal, not fervor, not enthusiasm.
“Anger” ,
Nope. No bias there.
“...upstart parties.”
NYT insults brave patriots who have the courage to build consensus and solidarity in towns and cities. Upstarts? More like Powerful Movements. I hope and pray the Italians vote for I-xit and independence.
That’s even better!
The presidency in Austria is symbolic but some change could be coming there on Sunday too in the final round of the election if the nationalist Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party wins.
It’s interesting how “populism” is bad, but “democracy” isn’t.
I don’t know what populism is, but I know what nationalism is. People throughout the western world have had up to their ears with unvetted outsiders being allowed by their own politicians to invade their country and then having to provide for them and put up with their crimes and having to change their own values to accommodate the invaders.
People want to regain control of their own countries, and not be insulted for wanting to do so.
Historically, Populism is the Last Refuge of the "little man"...who has given up.
Normally, their champion is a "strong man" who promises to beat back the big corporations/bankers/big money men by decree.
Ergo, classical Populism often evolves into a dictatorship.
This is why the Left is so ready to classify the Trump movement as Populism. Usually, though, they pre-empt the term for their own use -- as Gore did in 2000.
Excellent !
Lol
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