The Italian electorate continues to decline to vote in numbers greater than at any general election since the Second World War. At 10pm the polling stations closed for the night; figures were over 7% down on those for 2008 when, at the close of polling on the Monday, over 80% of those entitled to vote had voted. Polling is usually stronger on the Sunday than on a working day and the polls close at 3pm not 10pm on the second day of voting, so that percentage may well rise.
The vote is down more in the South than in the North which could suggest that snow and poor conditions are not the major factor affecting the poll. The South usually votes more heavily to the Right so abstentions may be theirs disproportionately; however the fact that the Veneto, which votes Right, has not lost voters, undermines that conclusion too.
There were still over 15% of the voters undecided as the polls opened yesterday morning. Angels are going into Florence to vote this morning; perhaps reading the papers on the train will help make up my mind.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
'I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free'
About Me
Posts
Heroes
- Axel Leijonhufvud
- E.E.Evans-Pritchard
- Edmund Leach
- Francois Couperin
- Joan Robinson
- John Maynard Keynes
- Louis de Soissons
- Mario Draghi
- Noam Chomsky
- Pablo Picasso
- Paul Klee
- Pietro Porcinai
- The Earl of Onslow
- Umberto Boccioni
- Wassily Kandinski
- Wilhelm von Humboldt
Blog Archive
-
▼
2013
(128)
-
▼
February
(26)
- Benedetto Leaves Rome for Castelgandolfo
- Join In Italian Politics
- The Dead Who Speak
- Italy is not Ungovernable But Has Given the Wrong ...
- Bersani an Unacceptable Prime Minister for Any Ita...
- The Ides of March
- Comrade Bersani Does it Again: Proto Communists Le...
- Voting Today
- A Filthy Election
- United States Power and Italy's Choices
- Italy Must Default Under Whatever Polite Term Chosen
- We Cannot Forgive Them. Italian Political Elites M...
- Italy's Independence Day
- Ratzinger's Retreat
- Catty
- For the Record
- On the Returns from Being Ungovernable
- Censoring the Media During the Italian Elections
- Carry On Up the Bank
- Monti Won't Ally with Bersani's Allies
- Italy already has Provision for Tax Amnesties Deno...
- The Mayor of Florence Supports Berlusconi's Call f...
- Progressive Berlusconi Does Krugman and Stiglitz P...
- An Offer We Can't Refuse?
- A Florentine Lesson in Giving the Cold Shoulder
- New Investigations Opened Now by Rome Magistrates ...
-
▼
February
(26)
Fallen Angels
- David Cameron (for risking the disorderly dissolution of the Euro)
- Giorgio Napolitano (for stance on Budapest 1956: Prague 1968: Italy 2013)
- Mervyn King (for bailing-out Northern Rock)
- Nicholas Kaldor (for inventing VAT)
2 comments:
I would be really interested to know how you decide to vote, and what your reasons are. I also look forward to your analysis of the results!
I think the British media are underestimating the importance of the election.
Hello Blue, I voted 5 Stars for the Lower and the Upper House. My political sense told me to vote Right (ie Berlusca) in the Lower House but I couldn't do it. i know politics has nothing to do with ethics or morality but with gaining power but still, I couldn't do it.
This is an election of great importance to the Eurozone and its policies. I would like Italy to assert its strength and reschedule, and require forgiveness of, a large part of the debt on which banks and hedge funds are demanding inflated interest payments. I would like the UK to do that too, for that matter, but it's in a weaker position than Italy to do so because it generates much of its wealth in a different way.
Furthermore (lovely word) the European Union is trying to rebuild a statist authoritarian 'left' governance which last existed at the end of the last century. Personally I regard the nation-state as the bottom line defence of democracy and of freedom for its citizens; a United States of Europe is anathema. Everyone in Italy would be better off if these ever closer unionists are defeated.
That doesn't mean I'm not hoping for Europe to defend its life-style and standard of living, together when necessary, as single states when appropriate. There's no need for the post-democratic managed democracy and managed capitalism currently being hawked and forced on us all. Their system failed. Ask eastern Europe.
Italy cannot 'bring down' the Euro as has been claimed; the ECB can see off any such threat. But we have a chancenow to bring down 'leftist' statist, realised socialist, re-distributive management of our lives. So I took it - along with 25% of the electorate.
Surrender. You are surrounded by the people. Go home., are not just slogans. This is not over. (Nor do the British media want the British to get the bit between their teeth as we have here).
Post a Comment