380. ITALY. Local Elections- The Right Let the Left Win
Less than one in two Italians did not go to vote in last
week-end’s ballot elections for the Mayor of major cities like Vicenza, Siena,
Treviso, but mainly, Rome, the capital.
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| 55th Prime Minister of Italy- Enrico Letta Credits: Wikipedia |
As shown in previous elections, it is a given fact the absentees
are mainly from the Right-wing, but in this case where the voters were so few,
a number of these absentees must also have come from the ranks of the protestors,
given the fact that the 5 Star Movement (protest group) came up with next to
nothing in the ballot results.
So why did the Right-wing voters let the Left-wing win
with a landslide majority from the meagre numbers of votes cast?
Apart that a disaffection towards politics, politicians and
democracy in general is a world-wide phenomena
but which has touched Italy in particular, another reason is certainly
money, that is, the lack of it. When there is no money in the Town Hall
cash-box there’s hardly any point in taking the pains of choosing a Mayor… one
or the other will do just as well.
A further motive for not voting could well be that since the
Left-wing have laid off a little their vicious and malignant campaign against
Berlusconi, they have been looked upon with a more benignant eye by the
Right-wing electorate.
Finally, and what I think is more decisive of all, is that
the present coalition government, where at last there is a true collaborative
effort shown between Left and Right, have led Italians to believe this kind of
politics is a much better way to go and have rewarded such an initiative, showing
their approval by letting the Left-wing win. Therefore, this act of abstaining
from voting should be looked upon as positive- by letting the Left-wing win magnanimously
it has thus strengthened and given more stability to the present government…
And when you get such, a not only sensible but also
charming Prime Minister as Enrico Letta-
well, why not let the Left-wing win? At
least for the time being.
