Borrowers’ Pain May Be Opposition’s Gain in Italian Election

Five Star Movement was ahead in high-default areas in 2013
Ruling Democratic Party could feel backlash from loan failures

The Ponte Vecchio bridge crosses the river Arno in Florence, Italy, on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will use a speech on Friday in Florence to propose a period of transition after Brexit takes effect in March 2019, aiming to give certainty and clarity to companies worried about the looming split.Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Giovanni Salzano and Lorenzo Totaro

January 31, 2018 at 4:00 AM UTC

Updated on

January 31, 2018 at 10:40 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

In Italy, a country wracked by a series of banking crises, one of the best indicators of voting intentions may be loan default rates.

While the economy is picking up -- 13 straight quarters of growth and counting -- plenty of people have been left behind, including older unemployed and jobless youth. One sensitive bloc is made up of those who borrowed money for a car, home or small business but couldn’t make their payments.