International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine

5-Star Movement: Significant but insufficient growth

Antonio Moscato — 2018-05-07T13:49:59Z

The reasons for the success of the 5-Star movement (M5S) in the elections of 4 March were grasped five years ago during the assessment of this unprecedented phenomenon. As I wrote in Inprecor at the time "although Grillo's movement plays a decisive role today in a parliament where there is no clear majority, he is not in a hurry to harvest what he sowed and prefers to leave his opponents, more and more confused and incapable to predict his next moves, to stew in their own juice.” Naturally, it was difficult to forecast the use that would be made of such a solid parliamentary delegation, even though it was already foreseeable “that he will not agree to sacrifice his troops in return for a or two ministerial seats. He aims much higher: he thinks not without reason that if the centre-left coalition is still torn a little and that new elections are convened quickly, he could well be this time the absolute winner.”

- IV520 - May 2018 / Italy

Berlusconi's and Monti's latest moves in Italian crisis.

Antonio Moscato — 2012-12-11T06:39:40Z

Today December 10 the spread between the interest Italy pays on government bonds compared to Germany has gone up beyond 350 points (30 points more than last week) and the Milan stock market fell by 2.2 %. This follows the unexpected speed of Monti's resignation after Berlusconi's decision to pull PDL support from the Italian government and, in his words, to take to the field again. Today's polls give Berlusconi only 11.9% three times less than Bersani and the PD and also less than Beppe Grillo's movement. These events show the difficulties the ruling political class have in managing governments in times of austerity and crisis.

- IV455 - December 2012 / Italy

The Congo in permanent instability

Antonio Moscato — 2001-03-10T00:00:00Z

The assassination of Laurent Desire' Kabila has not, at first sight, changed much in the Congo. The military apparatus quickly designated his son, Joseph Kabila, as successor, giving rise to a certain surprise as he had never had never had a prominent political role, but there was no significant resistance to the nomination.

- IV329 - March 2001 / Democratic Republic of Congo