, Columnist
Why Italy's Election Is Such a Mess
An interview with Hans Noel, a political scientist based in Florence.
Familiar divisions.
Photographer: Michele Spatari/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesNo one knows what will happen when Italy votes on Sunday. Polling is inconclusive, and the electoral rules are brand-new. In an attempt to make some sense of the mess of parties and coalitions competing for power, I reached out (over email) to Hans Noel, an associate professor of government at Georgetown University and author of “Political Ideologies and Political Parties in America,” a study of coalition-building and elections. He is spending the year as faculty-in-residence at Villa Le Balze in Florence.
JONATHAN BERNSTEIN: Is Italy likely to come out of this election with any stable government at all?