Italian Elections and Politics 2018: Yellow Tide

[Antonio the Sixth]

@AntonioV. I think that it's time to renamed the thread in "Italy 2014: The road to Regionals Elections"

Really? From what I've seen, nobody in Italy is giving a crap about regional elections that will be held nearly a year from now.

[Zanas]

What is an "Assessor" in the Italian context ?

[Senator Cris]

What is an "Assessor" in the Italian context ?

A member of the regional government with a specific issue.

[Senator Cris]

Matteo Richetti (Renzi man) and Stefano Bonaccini (Renzi man, but of the last hour) are in for the Emilia-Romagna Gubernatorial Primary, that will be held on September 28.

[Keystone Phil]

Oh my God, why would the guy that allowed Vendola to win and become who he is (or was?) be in the running again?

[SPQR]

On the bright side, Senate reform is about to pass! Final vote probably tonight or tomorrow.

Ok I think I finally found a source that explained the process.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-06/renzi-to-test-senate-resistance-on-plans-to-remake-italian-state.html

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So that earlier vote of 194-126 (60.6%) basically guarantees there will be a referendum because there won't be a two-thirds supermajority on the floor vote, right?

Renzi said he was in favour of the referendum anyway,so that leftist politicians can realize that Italians are in favour of the reform. No 50% quorum anyway.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Title updated to reflect Italy's supposed "new strength" in European politics (due to the EP results, Mogherini's appointment, and the semester of ceremonial Italian presidency). Of course it's mostly bull, but let's have fun.

Anyway, there's apparently a bankruptcy fraud allegation against Renzi's... father. Don't know how big that is.

Also, the Parliament is supposed to elect two Justices of Italy's Constitutional Court (which apparently takes a 2/3 supermajority), but after 13 ballots they still have been unable to agree. Renzi and Berlusconi had agreed on two guys (one from PD and one from FI), but FI "dissidents" are refusing to go along. This is quite significant, considering these guys are openly disobeying their Dear Leader. I think it was unheard of in a party like FI.

[Senator Cris]

Title updated to reflect Italy's supposed "new strength" in European politics (due to the EP results, Mogherini's appointment, and the semester of ceremonial Italian presidency). Of course it's mostly bull, but let's have fun.

Anyway, there's apparently a bankruptcy fraud allegation against Renzi's... father. Don't know how big that is.

Also, the Parliament is supposed to elect two Justices of Italy's Constitutional Court (which apparently takes a 2/3 supermajority), but after 13 ballots they still have been unable to agree. Renzi and Berlusconi had agreed on two guys (one from PD and one from FI), but FI and PD "dissidents" are refusing to go along. This is quite significant, considering these guys are openly disobeying their Dear Leader. I think it was unheard of in a party like FI.

[Antonio the Sixth]

From what I gather, it's mostly FI though. There are a couple PD loose cannons, but for once the major split isn't on the left.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Just to let you know, Renzi is under fire from basically everyone these days. And I mean everyone. Columnists, entrepreneurs, bishops, trade unions, PD politicians, leftists, rightists... It's a mass attack.

It's certainly not entirely unwarranted (he's been acting like a dick), but the violence of the attacks, and their seemingly concerted (or possibly conformist) nature leaves me quite perplexed. And it fit well into Renzi's anti-establishment narrative.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Dare I ask how the political reform is going?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Dare I ask how the political reform is going?

Not moving much right now. It passed a major step in August with the Senate's favorable vote (it's really a big deal: the Senate, the House of Gridlock by excellence, voted to abolish itself), but since the government has chosen to put other reforms on top of its agenda. Right now, they are at the frontline to push through their (quite neoliberal) labor market reform, which is the source of much controversy these days. My guess is that if Renzi comes out on top from this battle (far from sure), institutional/electoral reforms will once again be pushed forward and should overcome their hurdles. Still, it might take around a year before everything gets written in stone.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Ugh. Let me guess, Article 18 of the Statute of Workers is on the chopping block. Am I close?

Is there any hope at all that the labor market reform gets defeated or significantly altered but the political reform goes through anyway?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Ugh. Let me guess, Article 18 of the Statute of Workers is on the chopping block. Am I close?

In fairness, the project entirely awful - I don't know the specific but apparently it would also include a much more inclusive system for unemployment benefits and a simplification of the most anomalous forms of contracts. But yeah, Article 18 is what everybody is talking about.

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Anything can happen, considering how furious the PD's left-wing/old-guard is at Renzi. The really bad news is that FI has been conspicuously praising it (even though there are internal disagreement inside it too). It would be conceivable to see the bill be passed over the objections of a sizable share of the PD group, through an unholy Renzi-Berlusconi alliance, thus effectively giving the latter a significant stake in policymaking. I really hope Renzi will realize the implications and back down, but he has always been a pretty stubborn person.

[Andrea]

Among the total indifference of everybody, the indirect  (electorate is made up by mayors and municipal councillors) election for new presidents of Provinces and for provincial councils took place today in the great majority of areas.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Anything interesting happen?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Anything interesting happen?

Labor reform passed in the Senate in a confidence vote, Renzi is relieved, Berlusconi and Grillo make their usual antics... So no, nothing worthwhile.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Anything interesting happen?

Labor reform passed in the Senate in a confidence vote, Renzi is relieved, Berlusconi and Grillo make their usual antics... So no, nothing worthwhile.

Nah I meant in the indirect elections. More Renzimania?

[Andrea]

Anything interesting happen?

Labor reform passed in the Senate in a confidence vote, Renzi is relieved, Berlusconi and Grillo make their usual antics... So no, nothing worthwhile.

Nah I meant in the indirect elections. More Renzimania?

I guess I called it with the wrong term. In Italian it's "elezioni di II livello". How is it translated?

Basically the electorate is formed by mayors and local councillors. As PD dominated latest round of local elections, they also  won in the great majority of places yesterday

In Catanzaro Forza Italia city mayor lost and ended up at the hospital after a fight against a former local cabinet memebr at the end of the count

Right won Cosenza, Lecce, Avellino. UDC in Barletta-Andria-Trani. Almost everything else to PD
Some areas had only 1 candidate. There were also some PD-Forza Italia alliances (Livorno).

[Keystone Phil]

So how close was this vote on stadium mandates that now require clubs to pay for their own security and allow security to use tazers on out-of-control fans?

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Anything interesting happen?

Labor reform passed in the Senate in a confidence vote, Renzi is relieved, Berlusconi and Grillo make their usual antics... So no, nothing worthwhile.

Nah I meant in the indirect elections. More Renzimania?

I guess I called it with the wrong term. In Italian it's "elezioni di II livello". How is it translated?

No you were right, don't worry.

Renzi just launched his 2015 budget, slashing taxes by 18 billion euros, (15 billion of spending cuts and 3 billion of borrowing as well).

[Andrea]

Centre-left easily gain Reggio Calabria mayorality in yesterday's special election.

197 counted out of 218

Centre-left candidate 61.24%
Centre-right (Forza Italia + NCD+FdI+local lists 27.21%
Local lists + spoof lists like Grillo Parlante-No Euro 3.2%
M5S 2.5%
5 other mayoral candidates not reaching 2% (2 below 1%)

[SPQR]

M5S went from 25% to 2,5%...hilarious.

[Senator Cris]

TOMORROW: Gubernatorial elections in Emilia-Romagna and Calabria.

[Vosem]

M5S went from 25% to 2,5%...hilarious.

Why? What's caused the decline in M5S's support?