Let the Populists Try to Govern Italy

Italy’s election results pose a major challenge for the country and the rest of the European Union. The vote resulted in a hung parliament and saw the rise of two anti-establishment parties: the League and the Five Star Movement. The economic policies of these two parties -- which include deep tax cuts and lavish spending pledges -- would add to Italy’s enormous public debt and put Rome on a collision course with its European allies.

This presents Italy’s mainstream forces, and in particular the center-left Democratic Party (PD), with a major dilemma. The PD lost the elections badly, but it has enough seats to form a government either with the Five Star Movement or with the center-right coalition, including the League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia. Having the PD in government has two advantages: It would dilute the programs of the two radical parties, and prevent a “coalition of chaos” between the League and Five Star. At a time of great uncertainty, these are no small feats.