Low turnout in regional elections may hurt Berlusconi

A low turnout in two days of voting in regional elections in Italy may mean a shift in support for Prime Minister Silivio Berlusconi. A provisional interior ministry estimate put turnout at 64.6 per cent, eight points lower than the last regional elections in 2005.

Berlusconi with his candidate in Rome, Renata Polverini, during an election rally Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi

Polls closed at 3pm local time in the 13 regions (out of 20) which are electing governors.

Berlusconi’s People of Liberty (PDL) party faces a challenge from the left, as many people are dissatisfied with how the country has been run.

Listen:

03:04

Analysis: Renato Mannheimer, political sociologist, Milan-Biccoca University

Nina Haase

“The centre-right electorates are not happy about what the central government has done until now,” political sociologist Renato Mannheimer, from the Milan-Biccoca University, told RFI. “They didn’t want to vote for the left because they are centre-right, but they decided to abstain.”

“Berlusconi promised a lot of things during the electoral campaign and for different reasons he didn’t realise it,” said Mannheimer, adding that political and personal scandals surrounding the billionaire Prime Minister have not helped his or his party’s reputation.

The populist, anti-immigrant Northern League may gain from PDL supporters staying away from the polls. A strong showing for the party could alter the balance of power in Berlusconi’s ruling coalition, which could be problematic for him.

His ally, parliament speaker Gianfranco Fini, has increasingly criticised what he considers the Northern League’s excessive influence.

The left will likely win some regions almost by default, according to Mannheimer, who says the opposition did not have much to offer.

“The left has not had a lot of proposals, it just had an opposition against Berlusconi without proposing something different,” he said. “Maybe now is the moment that the left will propose something and maybe gain something in the electorate.”

Whatever the results, Berlusconi will remain Prime Minister for another three years, which Mannheimer says is enough time to recover, if he suffers a defeat.

“These are regional elections and not national elections,” he said. “It depends what he will and can do.”