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The centre cannot hold
With the Italian far right poised to make major gains in the coming elections, NICK WRIGHT highlights the gulf between a complacent middle class and the vast class of working people facing deep economic and social problems, both in Italy and in Britain too
FAMILIAR PICTURE: Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta gives a speech as the party gets ready for elections next month

NEW elections in Italy are scheduled for September 25. The “stabilisation” government of former European Central Bank boss Mario Draghi finally fell apart. 

Its notional “national unity” character did not survive the departure of the populist Movimento Cinque Stelle (M5S) and the right-wing Lega and Forza Italia formations.

With its fragile parliamentary majority gone and with only the Partito Democratico (PD) and its right-wing breakaway Italia Viva and left-wing split Articolo Uno still standing and with M5S split with one faction remaining aligned with Draghi’s austerity economic regime, the game was up.

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