May 24, 2018

The Italian threat

located:	Italy
editor:	Maria João Morais

Two and a half months following inconclusive elections and after weeks of intense negotiations, a coalition government between the anti-establishment Five Star movement and the xenophobic League has finally been given the green light to rule Italy. Difficult to classify due to the parties’ ideological differences, the governmental agreement reached between leaders Luigi di Maio and Matteo Salvani has already been causing great alarm in Brussels.

Described by many as populist, the plan announced by the joint-platform, which will be led by an, up to now, unknown law professor Giuseppe Conte, includes billions of Euros in tax cuts, pension reforms and a basic monthly income of €780 for disadvantaged families. Moreover, the new Eurosceptic coalition wants to renegotiate Italy's debt, promising a confrontational stance against the European Union and the commission. The Italian solution is, therefore, sparking fears of new shocks to financial markets, especially among supporters of severe austerity and budgetary consistency. 

However, what should cause concern in Brussels is the strategy announced by the new Italian government on immigration, which across the board runs counter to the European values of inclusion and solidarity. The plan calls for a compulsory relocation scheme for immigrants among member states and the deportation of about 500,000 migrants who irregularly entered the country. Designed to suit Matteo Salvani, who has been touted as the possible Interior Minister (with control of the country’s migration policies), the coalition’s proposal also includes the creation of detention centres across the country.

Hence, what should be alarming within the EU is the fact that once again we see the inclusion of a far-right party in governance solutions. With the nationalist wave still navigating across Europe, gaining more and more strength in countries like France, Holland or Austria (where a far-right party also forms part of the Government), the new Italian deal consolidates the extreme-right as part of today’s mainstream governing parties. A path that the EU has yet been unable to unshackle.