, Columnist
Why Italy's New Electoral Law Doesn't Get Five Stars
The rules might keep the populists out, but they guarantee gridlocked government.
His Five Star Movement faces new hurdles.
Photographer: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
After months of wrangling, the Italian parliament has finally passed a new electoral law. The new rules will make it much harder for the anti-establishment Five Star Movement to come to power. They will not, however, give Italy the stability it needs to escape the low-growth trap.
The law is a complex combination of first-past-the-post and proportional representation. Any party which takes more than 3 percent of the vote will be guaranteed a seat in parliament (for coalitions, the hurdle is 10 percent). However, the new law favors coalitions over individual parties, since they will be more likely to score wins in individual constituencies.