Italy’s fresh election risks being referendum on euro

30/05/2018

By Steve Scherer
May 28,2018

ROME (Reuters) – The euro looked to have dodged a bullet when Italy’s would-be eurosceptic coalition government collapsed at the weekend, but it may turn out to have been the opening salvo in a war over Europe’s single currency.

On Sunday, Italy’s president rejected the nomination of a eurosceptic, Paolo Savona, for the economics ministry by the far-right League and anti-establishment 5-Star Movement because Savona had previously said Italy should leave the euro zone.

But now the two parties, who were rivals in the March vote, are weighing whether to join forces ahead of a fresh election seen in the autumn or early next year.

“The upcoming elections will not be political, but instead a real and true referendum … between who wants Italy to be a free country and who wants it to be servile and enslaved,” League leader Matteo Salvini said on Monday.

Italy election polls LATEST: Eurosceptic Lega Nord takes 3% from centre in just 7 days

May 29, 2018

ITALY’S right-wing Lega has gained three percent in polls in a week of political turmoil throughout the country.

Lega, led by Eurosceptic Matteo Salvini, managed to bring in votes from other parties, including Forza Italia, which saw votes drop to 8 percent and Fratelli d’Italia which decreased to 3.8 percent.

With the rise in Lega’s favour, the party is now neck in neck with Five Star Movement, whose popularity has decreased from 31.1 percent in 2016 to 29.5 percent in this year’s new polls.