MNI SOURCES: Italy Far Right To Benefit From Political Chaos

--Neo-Fascist Groups Aim to Get Into Italy Parliament 

--Italy's New Voting System Might Help Extremists

By Silvia Marchetti

     LONDON (MNI) - Italy's extreme right parties are on the rise and could gain

a foothold in parliament for the first time in their history at next year's

elections, analysts and officials tell Market News.

     Neo-Fascist groups, boosted by increasing socio-economic malaise and

anti-European sentiment, are triggering political tensions across the country

with violent militants take to the streets.

     "After winning a significant amount of votes at recent local elections, the

extreme right aims for a national status and could benefit from the new voting

system that has lowered the parliamentary entry threshold down to 3 percent,"

warned Sergio Fabbrini, head of the School of Government at Rome-based Luiss

University.

     The two most feared groups are Forza Nuova and Casa Pound, boasting

connections across Europe to other far right parties, mainly Marine Le Pen's

Front National in France.

     --ON THE MARCH

     To announce their relaunch, over 2,000 Forza Nuova extremists recently

staged a "peaceful" version of the historical "March on Rome" that marked the

birth of the pre-war fascist regime.

     Casa Pound, founded in memory of US pro-Fascist writer Ezra Pound, started

in 2003 as a pro-social housing force engaged in illegal building occupations.

     Alone, these parties each have around 1-2% support, but if united with

other smaller extremist formations could reach the 3% threshold. And in single

member districts, tied to local representation, potential far-right candidates

could win seats if their party does not hit the threshold at national level.

     However, the greater risk is that these far-right groups might could

team-up with the leading centre-right coalition of former premier Silvio

Berlusconi and his populist allies, Fabbrini warned.

     "The other two main centre-right groups, the populist Lega and the Fratelli

d'Italia, are indirectly courting these extremists, appealing to their feelings

of hatred and dissent. By moving towards Berlusconi's centre, they've left an

open space at their right which is now being filled up by Casa Pound and Forza

Nuova,", explained Fabbrini. 

     --PAN-EUROPE ISSUE

     According to Giampolo Galli, Democrat deputy and member of the Lower House

Budget Committee, like in Germany and in the UK with Brexit, Italy's extremists

are exploiting the wide spread "anti-immigrant and anti-globalisation feelings,

incarnated by the policies of ruling parties seen as friends of the free

market".

     "So far, they are small groups with a relatively small consensus, so I

doubt they'll make it into parliament. But I stress .... so far. Their gaining

ground is a phenomenon which should not be underestimated," said Galli.

     "It's quite obvious that a new, far-right wing is blowing across the bloc,

favoured by the political chaos in many countries and the identity crisis of

traditional parties that are having a hard time allying and launching concrete

ruling proposals," added Fabbrini.

     The centre-right coalition is downplaying the far-right's threat and rules

out any chances of an alliance at present.

     Fabio Rampelli, leader in the Lower House of the Fratelli d'Italia, the

'heirs' of the former Fascist party, said the extremists' crusade was being

bolstered by "exaggerated media reports and by the centre-left in an attempt to

drain consensus from us".

     Some recent polls also suggest that far-right parties could lure

disappointed, radical former voters of the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement.

     Italy's constitution forbids neo-fascist groups from politics (and

therefore entering parliament), but the ban has never been implemented. A bill,

pending in the Senate and presented by the Democrats, seeks to punish "fascism

apology", but it is unlikely to get passed before parliament is dissolved.

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

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