03.28.06
Elections
It’s almost election day in Italy. I don’t pretend to understand Italian politics (but I’m not sure the average Italian understands it either). There are dozens of politicial parties all vying for power. But since there are so many parties, nobody ever really has a majority of the votes. So the parties form coalitions who share the power. These coalitions then nominate the leaders who sit in the senate. At least, that’s how I think it works.
Many people are surprised to learn that the Communist Party is alive and well here in Italy, and even wins sometimes. It’s especially popular with young people, who are attracted to its promise of jobs. And jobs are a very difficult thing to find here.
As I type this there is a commercial on TV about how to fill out your ballot on election day. Apparently it’s so big and complicated they run commercials for weeks in advance.