Gianluca Sgueo

5-Star party supporters gather in Piazza del Popolo

The radical populist party that shook Italy's establishment

The Italian establishment has failed from the start to understand the appeal of Five Star. First, it ignored the movement’s mass rallies, then dismissed its electoral aspirations, branding it by turns fascist and communist. Instead of trying to understand Five Star’s growing popularity, the main parties labeled its candidates dilettantes lacking the experience and competence to govern.

The radical populist party that shook Italy's establishment
An activist wearing a mask of Forza Italia party leader Silvio Berlusconi poses during a tour, the day after Italy's parliamentary elections, in Rome, Italy March 5, 2018.

How the murder of a young woman turned Italy's elections into a referendum on immigration

How the murder of a young woman turned Italy's elections into a referendum on immigration