A slap in the face for Grillo's Movimento 5 Stelle
In the local elections in Italy, which are considered a litmus test for the upcoming parliamentary elections in the autumn, there are signs of major losses for the Five-Star-Movement (M5S). Last year, the party conquered the town halls of Rome and Turin, while the governing Partito Democratico fared poorly. Many Italian newspapers report as good news that the tide seems to be turning.
Punishment for many mistakes
M5S chief Beppe Grillo only has himself to blame for this bitter defeat, La Repubblica comments:
“For the first time Grillo is paying the price for his mistakes. He made his last mistake not so long ago: he gave the deal between Renzi and Berlusconi his blessing and approved an electoral law reform that was a bad imitation of the German model. A typically Italian parliamentary mess that has inflicted serious damage on the Five Star Movement. Understandably. If you demand integrity you don't get mixed up in arrangements that strongly resemble 'caste' configurations, as Grillo calls the traditional parties. But there's no shortage of other mistakes, too. Sooner or later the bill for Rome that M5S mayor Raggi has in her hand will have to be paid”
Two-party system makes a comeback
In view of the success of the two major traditional parties Corriere della Sera notes with delight that in Italy the two-party system isn't yet obsolete:
“Centre left and centre right. This proves that the first-past-the-post system and the coalition win out [the system of proportional representation], at least at the local level. For one day the 'perfect tripolarism' of the PD-M5S-conservatives that exists in parliament and will dominate all future parliamentary election scenarios vanished into thin air. … It's not yet clear whether this comeback of bipolarism will prevail on the national level, too. But in theory the Partito Democratico could take this opportunity to reunite with its split off left wing. … Meanwhile, in the conservative camp Forza Italia and Lega Nord may consider settling the fierce battle for leadership between Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini.”