Italy, much like the rest of Europe, is no stranger to the rise of right-wing populist movements. On December 4, 2016, many Italians followed the lead of Great Britain and Hungary, both of which hosted referenda regarding their relationship to the European Union. For Great Britain, in what is now notoriously known as the Brexit, the majority of voters opted for the leave option, meaning that the country will eventually be abandoning the EU in favor of more isolationist policies. Hungary instead voted to reject EU-imposed migrant quotas in its referendum. However, since the number of ballots cast did not meet the constitutionally stated quorum, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has initiated constitutional reform to prevent the EU from having the ability to impose its quotas. Although the referendum that Italian voters faced did not concern EU policies, it could likely have similar implications to the other referenda sweeping Europe.
The process is complex. Italy’s December referendum was about constitutional reforms to the way that the population votes in its representatives. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who was in favor of the reform, vowed to resign if the proposed measure was rejected. Thus, although the vote has nothing to do with European policies, those voters skeptical of the EU throughout Italy viewed it as a chance to oust their pro-EU prime minister from power in favor of the populist Five Star Movement, which wants to ditch the euro in favor of an Italian currency.
Before the vote, opinions seemed divided. One of my professors described how she does not believe the Five Star Movement can bring any of its promises to fruition, but many young locals I have talked to are hopeful regardless. For them, the job market is nearly nonexistent, and many are expected to remain living at home because it makes more economic sense. Some locals attribute these economic problems to the transition from the lira to the euro and have made it clear that their prospects would improve if the Five Star Movement was in charge of the government.
Renzi, for his part, recognized the growing concerns and adopted an increasingly anti-EU tone in his speeches at home. This was extremely apparent when he “closed the referendum,” meaning that he gave his final referendum-related speech, at a rally in Florence two days before the voting took place. Renzi, who formerly served as the mayor of Florence, stood in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, the government building that once housed him, and chose to use the local slang and a Tuscan dialect, rather than speak as a polished politician would. I was lucky enough to attend the final rally, which happened to be Renzi’s last speech as Italy’s legitimate prime minister. The night was cold, but thousands of Florentines gathered in one of the city’s largest piazzas to see their leader on large jumbotrons. They carried encouraging signs that read “basta un si,” loosely translating to “a ‘yes’ is enough” and whooped and hollered when Renzi said that Italy is beautiful, yet in desperate need of change.
But the rally was a stark reminder for me that Italians, like many Europeans, do not directly elect their heads of government. Despite the overwhelming turnout and the large amount of support Renzi received in Florence, his referendum ultimately failed, and in the following week, he announced his plans to step down as prime minister in early 2017. The referendum is also indicative of the political movements that nearly every European country has experienced. Great Britain, Hungary, and Italy may be the only ones so far to have announced referenda, but all eyes will be on Europe in 2017 as countries like France and Germany are set to host elections.
