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Elections 5645: Progressives lose majority! Hung Parliament?

The split between the Greens penalizes the outgoing government while the success among the military of the PNL and the exploit of the Alliance of Autonomies throws the country into political uncertainty

July 5645

ROMULA - The general elections of 5645 mark a turning point in the Istalian political landscape with the outgoing majority, composed of the Democratic Socialist Party (PSD), the Party of New Communists (PNC) and the Greens' Movement (MdV), which exploded during the electoral campaign after months and months of tensions around a strategic issue: the management of national energy resources.

The Greens' Movement has in fact abandoned the electoral race with its government partners following the failure to include priority measures for the energy transition in the joint program and the firm opposition of PSD and PNC to the decommissioning of nuclear power, another point strongly supported by the Greens.

The PSD and PNC, thus deprived of a fundamental partner like the Greens, the latter supported especially by the younger segments of the population, with contrasting results failed to keep the parliamentary majority: the PSD suffered a significant decline especially among young people, part of the majatran minority and in the region of Alaria, where it lost ground to the Alliance of Autonomies (AdA), while the PNC recorded instead a surprising result, becoming the third national party, but insufficient alone to compensate for the loss of consensus and seats.

The 7th National Congress of the Imperial State will therefore be formed as follows:

PSD 161
PNL 160
PNC 51
UOD 48
MdV 23
AdA 22
MdC 4
D&L 3
PLR 2
Ind 1

The National Liberal Party (PNL), in constant growth, has gained ground compared to the PSD in the civilian polls but above all has cashed in on the success in the military vote: out of 119 seats reserved for members of the armed forces, 64 went to the PNL, guaranteeing the center-right formation a gap of just one seat compared to the PSD. A result that will clearly drastically change the balance of the National Congress and that makes vain, at the moment, even a possible rapprochement between PSD, PNC and Greens. The PNL attracted further consensus especially by leveraging the issue of the Majatran minority, protected and recognized by the previous government with a law that raised several discussions, and accusing the government, "in cahoots with the communists, of leading the country towards a dirigiste regime that oppresses freedoms", not holding back in making veiled references to the past communist regime.

In Alaria, behind the PSD's haemorrhage of votes, as mentioned, there was the exploit of the Alliance of Autonomies, in which the Alarian component became the majority, which rode the growing discontent on the island for the inequalities compared to the Peninsula, catalyzing the autonomist vote and stopping just behind the Greens' Movement, although there is also, as said, a component of majatrans that seek autonomous statutes for them, judging the law on majatran recognition and protection a not entirely satisfactory solution. The AdA also absorbed consensus from various smaller forces, confirming itself as a territorial reality in strong growth, with an agenda centered on the redistribution of resources and the revision of the relationship between Alaria and the central government.

In the rest of the country, the major cities, for a decade firmly controlled by the PSD, have now split between Socialists and National Liberals, while Caleon has seen a leap in preferences for the AdA. In the rest of the territory the Hosian Democratic Union has maintained its consensus more or less stable, confirming itself as a constant presence and which, in this electoral round, could represent one of the needles in the balance for the formation of the next government. The other minor parties have instead all registered declines, largely due to the strengthening of the Alliance of Autonomies and the general polarization of the electoral campaign around a few major identity and strategic issues. Behind the Alliance of Autonomies, therefore, are the Citizens' Movement (MdC - union of civic lists against the major parties) with 4 seats, Democracy & Freedom (D&L - a formation close to entrepreneurship) with 3 seats, the Republican Liberal Party (PLR) with 2 seats and finally one seat went to an independent, the Alarian nationalist Gian Filippo Marconato, elected in the 3rd constituency of Caleon, a district that includes many popular and working-class areas of the city.

The reactions from the political leaders have been countless and today more than ever everyone has taken advantage of the debacle or success to reiterate their positions and attribute responsibilities, a partire dal Ministro Segretario di Stato Saragat who, when approaced by the press, commented on the election results focusing on the split with the Greens and the growth of the Autonomists, and then responding to journalists on her political future:

The split with the Greens has weakened the progressive front, and despite the commitment in the majority to reconciliation, the Greens have chosen to abandon the path of dialogue and common responsibility to follow a line that is incompatible with the strategic objectives of the country. As for the Autonomists' success, this reflects a growing territorial unease, and our mistake was perhaps not to grasp the extent of this unease in time. Now we will have to work intensely to rebuild reformist unity on more solid and shared foundations.
As for me, I am ready to submit my resignation as National Secretary of the PSD, so the word will now return to the party Congress.

The Minister Secretary clearly glossed over the overtaking of the PNL among the military, but the Secretary General of the New Communists Armando Testa did not do the same, instead pointing the finger at the political-institutional system and the military:

The election result marks a serious imbalance in democratic representation: despite the orientation expressed by the civil lists, it was the military component that determined the political balance. This result only strengthens our opposition to the constitutionally recognized role of the Armed Forces, which clearly do not act only as guarantors of institutional order and national identity. I am firmly convinced that the military vote represented a real retaliation for the approval of the law to protect the majatrans promoted by the government. If the Armed Forces intend to play an active political role, they should do so in compliance with the principles of pluralism and cohesion, not as an instrument of pressure or ideological defense!

The Secretary of the National Coordination Committee of the Greens, Pietro Margheriti, who also resigned after an electoral campaign in which they expected an increase in consensus, briefly commented on the results but above all on the break with the government partners:

They accused us of having closed the doors to any possibility of dialogue, but what we did was to say enough to passively accept the decisions of our allies. Faced with the risk of exploitation aimed only at creating new jobs and pushing production without attention to the protection of the environment and the natural heritage of the country, we have drawn a line. Responsibility, yes, but up to a certain point: we could not betray those who supported us and be co-responsible for what we fear will be inevitable serious repercussions for the environment.

From the opposition, Valeriano Giunio, Secretary of the PNL, obviously rejoices, commenting on the results but above all on the criticisms from the parties of the outgoing majority:

I believe that the outgoing majority is looking at the proverbial finger and not the Moon! The accusations of the New Communists in particular are unfounded and reveal a poor understanding of our system: the Istalian system provides by Constitution the active role of the military as guarantors of national unity and stability. Their vote for the PNL is the confirmation of trust in our positions and in our vision of the country and talking about retaliation is an offense to those who serve the State with discipline and loyalty. As for the rise of the autonomists, first of all let's look at those who have remained in power for fifteen years! It is the direct responsibility of the previous majority which, moreover, with the law on the protection of the majatrans has further fueled disintegrating pressures for mere electoral calculations. The PNL will continue to work to bring national identity, institutional cohesion and the indivisible interest of the country back at the center of the debates.

For the Alliance of Autonomists, instead, the spokesperson of the Movement Daniela Signorini met the press, who did not spare barbs to anyone, neither from the majority nor from the opposition:

PSD, PNC, PNL and all the other political forces that have taken turns in government in recent years have done nothing but ignore a problem that has distant roots in time. Many citizens and many territories have today expressed the clear will to receive fair attention and protection specifically dedicated to them and their territories, whether they are minority communities or an entire portion of the country, and we firmly believe that this comes from the recognition of the specificities of the territory and the recognition of greater consideration of local demands. We will make our voice heard, that's for sure, and we do not exclude our membership or external support for a government that is willing to listen to the territory and give concrete answers.

With a Parliament without a clear majority and a PNL strengthened by the popular and especially military vote, a phase of negotiations is now opening that could prove to be long and complex.
The outgoing Minister Secretary of State Annalisa Saragat has already submitted her resignation to the Emperor, who as is customary, accepted it with reservations asking the head of government to remain in office until the new executive is formed.