Italy: parliamentary elections-2022 and prospects for relations with Russia

Abstract

The governmental crisis that broke out in Italy in the summer of 2022 led to the resignation of the government of M. Draghi and the subsequent dissolution of Parliament. The article examines the results of Italy's early parliamentary elections held on September 25, 2022 (including a comparison with the results of the 2018 elections) and analyzes the positions of the leading political parties represented in the Italian parliament from 2018 to 2022. The author summarizes the results of the government with M. Draghi, identifying the reasons for the preservation of the rating of this government and its impact on the course of the election campaign. In reviewing the course and results of the election campaign the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and the government's actions to overcome its consequences are analyzed, the activities of the main opposition parties in Italy are assessed. Considering the current situation, the author offers a comprehensive overview of the positions of the leading political parties and their coalitions, which passed on the results of the early parliamentary elections. The newly formed government supported the stance of the collective West on Russia, despite internal disagreements on this issue and direct recognition of the painful nature of anti-Russian sanctions for the Italian economy itself. There is no reason to count on a "privileged partnership" between Russia and Italy in the near future, but, according to the author, there are reasons to expect ties to be restored soon after the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict.