Yesterday, Tuesday 5th June, the Italian Government led by Professor Giuseppe Conte obtained the trust of the upper house Senate 171 – 117 with 25 abstentions. A coalition government formed by the Five Star Movement and the League, defined as Italy’s first populist government, has finally been reached after 90 days of political paralysis. The little-known new Prime Minister started his inaugural speech by asking the Senate’s trust “not only in a government team, but also in a project for the change of Italy”. Also, aiming at addressing the concerns raised regarding the populist nature of the political forces involved, Conte added that “[i]f ‘populism’ means the ruling class listens to the needs of the people […] [and] if ‘anti-system’ means to aim to introduce a new system, which removes old privileges and encrusted power, well these political forces deserve both these epithets”. The speech further addressed a number of issues that were of particular interest to the coalition and its political program during the electoral campaign, such as Italian public debt, European Union governance, the reform of the Dublin Regulations and the sanctions against Russia. However, the non-conclusive list of problems that the government would confront is inversely proportional to the concrete details on how this government would be able to realise the proposals in Conte’s speech. Mr. Conte will speak again before a confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies today, which is also a formality.

Gabriella Cinque

For further information:

Repubblica.it : http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2018/06/05/news/conte_discorso_fiducia_senato-198193413/

The New York Times :  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/05/world/europe/italy-government-giuseppe-conte.html