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The European elections next June are seen in Italy as little more than a political home game, an opportunity to redefine the balance of national political power, based on the result obtained in Europe. This is despite the fact that the last national elections took place only recently, in the fall of 2022, when the right were handed an apparently solid majority. But nothing else is under discussion, despite there being many issues on the European agenda.
The war in Ukraine, for example, or the crisis in the Middle East, which have divided and continue to divide, even internally, the right-wing coalition now in government, and the center-left opposition parties. Or the difficulties facing the agricultural sector, which have attracted enough sustained political attention to extinguish the protests of workers in the sector.
Instead, there has been much discussion about the possible candidacies of the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Democratic Party (PD) leader Elly Schlein to boost their respective lists. There has also been discussion about new alliances or the revision of those already established.
In short, questions of a tactical nature are under discussion.
It must be said, however, that beyond the antagonism typical of the Italian political system, the attitude of the parties has been encouraged by the fact that the European elections follow a wave of important regional elections, which has fostered a permanent campaign climate. Although Italy is not a federal state, the regions do in fact hold considerable political and institutional weight, since they hold legislative power.
It is no coincidence that regional elections always end up affecting the national level, a little like the American midterm elections, and they are therefore useful for assessing the national government’s current approval rating. This is how the elections held on 25 February in Sardinia and 10 March in Abruzzo have been interpreted, with the former won by the center-left, and the latter by the right.