Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 6 March 2018
Populist parties surge in Italy vote, mainstream suffers

By COLLEEN BARRY party's leadership.
NICOLE WINFIELD The League leader's sug-
Associated Press gestion that the election
ROME (AP) — Two populist had produced a clear
and stridently anti-Europe- path to putting him in the
an Union parties surged in premier's office was chal-
Italy's parliamentary elec- lenged by the rival 5-Stars,
tion at the expense of the the highest vote-getter of
country's traditional pow- any single party.
ers, but neither attracted The movement's leader, Lu-
enough support to govern igi Di Maio, immediately as-
alone, near-final results serted his right to govern It-
showed Monday. aly. Di Maio noted Monday
With no faction winning a that no campaign bloc
clear majority in Sunday's had obtained a majority
vote and the leaders of the and said the 5-Stars had
rival populist parties both strong showings from north
claiming victory, the elec- to south, even though their
tion was expected to pro- main victories were in the
duce a hung Parliament south.
and long, fraught negotia- "The fact that we are rep-
tions to form a new govern- resentative of the entire
ment. nation projects us inevita-
"Ungovernable Italy," read Leader of the League party, Matteo Salvini, smiles before casting his ballot at a polling station in bly toward the government
the headline in La Stampa Milan, Italy, Sunday, March 4, 2018. More than 46 million Italians were voting Sunday in a general of the country," Di Maio
election that is being closely watched to determine if Italy would succumb to the populist, anti-
daily. establishment and far-right sentiment that has swept through much of Europe in recent years. said at a news conference
The Milan stock exchange (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) in which he took no ques-
closed down .4 percent, tions. "Today, for us, it is the
with the Mediaset media the vote. The anti-estab- surpassed Forza Italia. The coalition partner. The two start of the Third Republic.
company of one of the lishment 5-Star Movement League captured around met Monday at Berlusconi's And the Third will finally be
election's biggest losers, came in second with 32 18 percent of the vote, Milan residence, where the the republic of citizens."
three-time Premier Silvio percent. while Forza Italia had less three-time premier con- Besides confirming the up-
Berlusconi, down 5.5 per- The center-left coalition than 14 percent, accord- gratulated Salvini, Forza swing for populist, right-
cent. that has governed Italy ing to the ministry's results. Italia said. wing and euroskeptic forc-
According to the results since 2013 trailed badly at A triumphant Salvini cel- "I am and will remain a es in Europe, the election
released by Italy's interior 23 percent. ebrated the victory of the populist," Salvini said. He verified the weakened sta-
ministry, a center-right co- In an upset, the populist center-right bloc, saying it repeated his belief that tus of the two political par-
alition that included Berlus- and right-wing League had won the "right and the joining the common euro ties that have dominated
coni's Forza Italia party and party led by Matteo Sal- duty to govern." He said currency was a mistake Italian politics for decades
the anti-immigrant League vini surpassed the longtime his party would lead that for Italy, but said financial — Forza Italia and the cen-
won about 37 percent of anchor of the center-right, effort, with Berlusconi as markets shouldn't fear his ter-left Democrats.q

Merkel welcomes German govt deal, wants to dive into work

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER man government again. us every day," Merkel said,
BERLIN (AP) — German "Every day we see, every citing issues that need to
Chancellor Angela Merkel day we hear that Europe is be tackled quickly.
on Monday welcomed the needed and that a strong, Merkel, who has proved
Social Democrats' vote in united voice of Germany herself a shrewd interna-
favor of a new ruling coali- and France and other tional negotiator during
tion and said "it's important member countries is need- more than 12 years in of-
that as government we ed," Merkel said. In a veiled fice, faced her greatest
start quickly with our work." reference to the United challenge at home after
Merkel spoke to reporters in States under President Don- deciding to allow over a
Berlin a day after the cen- ald Trump, Merkel also cited million asylum-seekers into
ter-left Social Democrats the threat of protectionism Germany since 2015. An
voted overwhelmingly to as well as trade competi- anti-migrant party came in
remain in a coalition with tion with China and the war third in last year's election,
Merkel's conservatives, giv- in Syria as challenges the upending Germany's tradi-
ing her the support needed German Chancellor and chairwomen of the German Christian 28-nation bloc must face. tional coalition calculus.
to secure a fourth term as Democratic Union (CDU), Angela Merkel, addresses the media "Whether it's the question of The Social Democrats were
during a statement at the party headquarters in Berlin, Germa-
the leader of Europe's most ny, Monday, March 5, 2018. international trade policy, initially reluctant to extend
powerful economy. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) which is for example a very their coalition with Merkel,
Parliament is expected to up-to-date issue — many but eventually agreed to a
meet March 14 to re-elect tory. The national election ing and that we implement jobs are dependent on that deal that gives them con-
Merkel as chancellor, end- was Sept. 24. what we have said we — whether it's the question trol of the foreign, labor
ing the longest time Ger- "Almost six months after would do," Merkel said. of open competition with and finance ministries —
many has been without a election day, the people Merkel also stressed that it China, or whether it is ques- three major portfolios — in
new government after an in Germany have the right was important for Europe tions of peace and war, as return for supporting some
election in its postwar his- that something is happen- to have a functioning Ger- the situation in Syria shocks curbs on immigration.q