Le elezioni europee 2014: un voto obliquo

Although voter turnout was down in many places and right-wing populists scored significant gains, the last European Parliament election couldn’t be immediately judged comparing its results with the local ones. Because the meaning that citizens give to the two different types of arenas is peculiarly different, and their electoral behaviour is related to that meaning. The European contest is in fact more linked to the idea of a “free” vote, less decisive for the sort of the government, where one can experiment different choices, as the abstensionism, at least. While the rise of Euro-sceptic parties was spread all over the European countries, in Italy the outcomes signalled the wide victory of the Democratic Party, lead by the new Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who succeeded in reaching the highest success, ever, of a left-wing political party.