The resurgence of Silvio Berlusconi
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yet berlusconis revival cant be fully realized since his criminal record bars him from holding public office. he is also at odds with far-right ally and league party leader matteo salvini on the eu protectionism and who should be prime minister in case of victory1 italys general elections on sunday could see the phoenix-like resurgence of scandal-tainted ex-premier silvio berlusconi or condemn the eurozones third-largest economy to becoming nearly ungovernable1 a hung parliament or a narrow parliamentary majority for the centre-right are the two most probable scenarios predicted wolfango piccoli co-president of teneo intelligence noting that the latest projections had conservatives falling short of an outright win1 with that in mind many analysts foresee a post-election realignment in which berlusconi and the centre-left pd would join forces in a re-enactment of the grand coalition that has held sway in germany since 20131 current government leader paolo gentiloni a pd stalwart respected across the political spectrum or european parliament president antonio tajani a former berlusconi spokesman have been singled out as possible compromise candidates for the premiership1 however rising anti-establishment sentiment could also usher in a radical m5s-led government that would unsettle financial markets and italys european union partners1 alternatively there could be major deadlock leading to new elections before years end1 opinion polls are not allowed in the last two weeks of campaigning but before the ban kicked in pollsters had the berlusconi bloc near 40 per cent and the m5s and a pd-led alliance each under 30 per cent1 those figures are a testimony to berlusconis stunning resilience after a tax fraud conviction and parliamentary ejection in 2013 and open-heart surgery three years later1 he is now courting voters with unrealistic promises to slash taxes and expel 600000 immigrants1 in his latest guise the 81-year-old has reinvented himself as a wise pro-eu statesman in contrast with the untested m5s1 im like good wine i get better with age and now im perfect he quipped this month1 the tycoon-turned-politicians resurgence has taken place amid a tense campaign marred by political violence most notably in the central town of macerata where a nazi sympathizer wounded six african migrants in a drive-by shooting spree1 but while berlusconis bloc has a poll lead over the anti-establishment five star movement m5s and the incumbent democratic party pd it may not win overall control of parliament it doesnt help that berlusconis bloc is also internally divided fuelling doubts about its ability to last in government1 with pollsters estimating that about one third of almost 51 million eligible voters are undecided the election outcome is still wide open especially in swing southern regions where the m5s could score a historic breakthrough1 the pd is crumbling the race now is between us and the centre-right m5s prime ministerial candidate luigi di maio a 31-year-old university dropout and deputy leader of the lower house of parliament told rai state radio on tuesday1 the preppy-looking di maio replaced comedian beppe grillo as party leader last year and has steered the protest party towards more moderate positions for example by dropping plans to hold a referendum on exiting the eurozone1 it is time to embrace change because there is no longer any reason to be afraid of it di maio said pledging to exclude from his government team the same faces you have seen for 20 years1 di maio is expected to unveil his team on thursday1 to detractors the partys main weakness is inexperience which is exactly what appeals to many of its fans who are pining for a clean slate in italys often-corrupt politics and are attracted by the partys promises to introduce minimum income subsidies for the poor1 the pd meanwhile is struggling despite some success in office with voters listing the economy and migration as their biggest concerns the party can claim credit for reducing boat arrivals from libya and lifting the country out of a record double-dip recession1 are you better or worse off compared to four years ago this the question we will pose to voters renzi told journalists earlier this month a message that seems to be failing to make inroads1 italys economy is still lagging behind its eu peers and most of the 1 million new jobs renzi has touted are of a low-paid temporary nature which helps explain why there is not much of a feel-good factor benefiting his party1 in addition to bleeding left-wing votes to free and equals a splinter group formed last year the pd is being hobbled by renzis popularity crisis exacerbated by the 2016 referendum defeat on constitutional reforms that led to his resignation1 according to pollsters the pd has a lot of potential for improvement in its poll standings if it can win back some of its estranged voters. the results due monday will show whether a polarizing figure such as renzi was the right man for that task1 news analysis by dpa1