Matteo Salvini's (far right) League was overtaken by the left Sunday in Emilia-Romagna, according to polls after the polls and the first results of a regional election worth national test for the Italian sovereignist leader, who counts on this ballot to regain power.
The outgoing president of the region, Stefano Bonaccini (Democratic Party, center left), was in the lead with a score between 48% and 52% of the votes before his opponent Lucia Borgonzoni (League) between 43% and 47%, according to a poll. performed on a representative sample after the closing of polling stations at 10 p.m. GMT. First projections made from the counting of 11% of the ballots gave around 11:30 p.m. GMT a similar trend in this election marked by a very strong participation of 67%, against 37% in the previous regional of 2014.
A crossing of the desert for Salvini?
Representatives of the ruling majority formed by the Democratic Party (PD, left) and the 5 Stars (M5S, anti-establishment) may have hammered that this election would have no impact on the government, the head of the League had announced that in the event of his camp's victory he would demand early legislative elections on Monday. Matteo Salvini tried to console himself by rejoicing in the already certain victory - taking into account a difference of 20 points with his first opponent - of the center-right candidate Jole Santelli, during organized regional elections in Calabria.
Given his commitment to the fore in this election, a defeat in Emilia-Romagna could, according to some observers, mark for the boss of the Italian far right "the beginning of a long crossing of the desert in opposition". On the strength of national polls showing the League at the head of the intentions of voting around 30% and first party of Italy, the sovereignist hoped indeed that a quick summons of Italians to the polls would be synonymous for him to return to the controls of the country.
Anti-Salvinian dynamics created by the Sardines
A prosperous region in the north-central part of the peninsula, Emilia-Romagna has long been an impregnable bastion of the left whose values still prevail in its cities, even if the right has made serious inroads in its villages and countryside. League candidate Lucia Borgonzoni, 43, was completely overshadowed by Matteo Salvini, who organized daily meetings and inundated social media with photos of him enjoying Parma ham or Parmesan, two specialties internationally known. In the opposing camp, the outgoing region president and center-left candidate Stefano Bonaccini opposed his good management and the economic results of the region, which has an unemployment rate of 5.9% (against 9.7% on the plan national) and growth of 2.2% in 2018.
The main factor of stability for the ruling majority in Italy, weakened by divisions, is the common fear of a premature return to the polls that could allow Matteo Salvini to return to business. In addition to the large crowd at the polls, the left has undoubtedly benefited from the anti-Salvinian dynamic created by the Sardines, a movement of young people born in the region two months ago and quickly became a national symbol of the protest against the extreme -right.
Giuseppe Conte and the Reinforced Democratic Party
According to some observers, the head of government Giuseppe Conte and the Democratic Party (which governs with the M5S) should be reinforced by this victory of the left, which the far right had come to challenge in its historic stronghold of Emilia-Romagna. Close to the M5S, Giuseppe Conte must, however, "pay attention to the collateral effects of the PD's victory in Emilia-Romagna," wrote Corriere della Sera , the first Italian daily, on Sunday, anticipating such a scenario.
On the strength of its local result, the PD could, according to the newspaper, be tempted to impose its political agenda on its ally in the government, the anti-establishment movement "5 Stars" (M5S), weakened by a deep crisis, and which, according to the first projections, would have been rolled as well in Emilia Romagna as in Calabria.
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