Young voters shake Italy’s political calm as referendum exposes tensions for Giorgia Meloni

Prime minister is scrambling to clean up her government after youth vote powered a damaging referendum defeat Filippo Michelini was having a drink at San Calisto, a popular bar in Rome’s Trastevere neighbourhood on Wednesday night. As he chatted to his friends, Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government was reeling from a failed referendum , and her beleaguered…

Key takeaways

Quick scan — what you need to know:

• Prime minister is scrambling to clean up her government after youth vote powered a damaging referendum defeat Filippo Michelini was having a drink at San Calisto, a popular bar in Rome’s Trastevere…
• As he chatted to his friends, Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government was reeling from a failed referendum , and her beleaguered tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, had just resigned .
• Michelini, a 29-year-old computer scientist who lives in Brussels, was spending a few days in the Italian capital after returning home last weekend to cast his ballot in the plebiscite on judicial…
• Continue reading...

Background

What led here, in plain terms:

• Prime minister is scrambling to clean up her government after youth vote powered a damaging referendum defeat Filippo Michelini was having a drink at San Calisto, a popular bar in Rome’s Trastevere…
• As he chatted to his friends, Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government was reeling from a failed referendum, and her beleaguered tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, had just resigned.
• Michelini, a 29-year-old computer scientist who lives in Brussels, was spending a few days in the Italian capital after returning home last weekend to cast his ballot in the plebiscite on judicial…
• Continue reading...

Why it matters

Why readers and decision-makers should care:

• Prime minister is scrambling to clean up her government after youth vote powered a damaging referendum defeat Filippo Michelini was having a drink at San Calisto, a popular bar in Rome’s Trastevere…
• As he chatted to his friends, Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government was reeling from a failed referendum, and her beleaguered tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, had just resigned.
• Michelini, a 29-year-old computer scientist who lives in Brussels, was spending a few days in the Italian capital after returning home last weekend to cast his ballot in the plebiscite on judicial…