Last summer, when Italy became the first major European country to get a populist government, Steve Bannon was cock-a-hoop. The former White House chief strategist had spent much of his time in Europe last year aiding and abetting populists. He called Italy ‘the centre of the political universe right now’. He was full of praise for what he described as the altruism of the alt-left Five Star movement led by Luigi Di Maio and the radical right Lega led by Matteo Salvini. The two populist parties had buried their differences for the sake of the nation, Bannon believed, as they formed a coalition government.
But for all his excitement, this anti-establishment honeymoon couldn’t last. Five Star and Lega were soon at each other’s throats, rowing about the limited programme they had managed to agree about. Bannon quietly moved on. What is extraordinary is the impact this short-lived government has had on the fortunes of two coalition parties. In the general election of March 2018, Five Star won 32 per cent of the vote and Lega 17. In the Euro elections this May, these figures were more or less reversed, with Lega’s share at 34 per cent and Five Star’s at 17.
Salvini —known as ‘Il Capitano’ —has proved a man of action, able to stop NGO charity ships ferrying illegal immigrants across the Mediterranean from Libya by banning them from docking in Italian ports. This was his do-or-die electoral pledge, and he delivered. He has also turned out to be surprisingly popular with Italian businesspeople, with his pledges of Trumpian tax cuts and infrastructure spending. He wants Italy to borrow more and doesn’t care much about EU deficit rules that would stop him. ‘The flat tax and big cuts in taxes for companies and families will have to be a fundamental part of the next budget.
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