Administrative elections and political defeat

Justice Minister Clemente Mastella’s comment on
the outcome of the second ballot of the administrative elections has been that
the government “has avoided a Waterloo”. Indeed, the victory for the
majority in Genova, which Mastella was referring to, was quite lame: the left’s
candidate won by a hair’s breadth in the historic “red” stronghold,
leaving behind roughly ten percentage points compared to the last
consultations.     

Overall, the opposition has scored a
four to three victory, pulling off the provinces of Lucca, Latina, Oristano,
and Matera, where it conquered the city hall after years of dominance by the
left.

Furthermore, if in the first round,
two weeks ago, it became clear that the left had a problem in the north of the
country, Prime Minister Prodi and his entourage, will now have to explain how
it has managed to lose ten ballots out of thirteen in the southern region of
Campania.

Indeed, losing in Genova would have
been a mortal blow for the majority; Still, the general meaning of this
administrative elections’ results is a political defeat for the governing
coalition – as admitted even by some of its own representatives – that has
nothing to do with a “geographical” issue. Nor is it a physiological
and passing malaise towards a government that, like any other, is obliged to
make unpopular decisions. On the contrary, the proportions of the defeat and
its geographical extension suggest that the ruling coalition is facing a deep
confidence crisis, even among its closest supporters, clearly tired of a left
too busy to deal with their internal squabbles and inadequacy to address the
country’s needs and problems.