Two populist and stridently anti-European Union political groups — both fierce rivals — surged in Italy’s parliamentary election at the expense of the country’s traditional powers, but neither gained enough support to govern alone, preliminary results showed yesterday.
With no faction winning a clear majority in Sunday’s vote, a hung Parliament was expected and long, fraught negotiations to form a new coalition government lay ahead.
Financial markets opened lower on the news and were volatile.
“Ungovernable Italy” headlined the La Stampa newspaper.
Preliminary results released by Italy’s Interior Ministry showed the center-right coalition winning about 37 percent of the parliamentary vote and the populist 5-Star Movement getting about 32 percent. The center-left coalition was far behind with 23 percent support.
The results showed the populist, right-wing and anti-immigrant League party led by Matteo Salvini surpassed the longtime anchor of the center-right, the Forza Italia party of ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
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