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| Bucking E.U. Tide, Italians Endorse Prime Minister | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| ROME — Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of Italy led his Democratic Party to the best showing of any European governing party in parliamentary voting, nearly final returns showed Monday, receiving more than 40 percent of the votes cast, a level no party has reached in any Italian election since 1958. | ROME — Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of Italy led his Democratic Party to the best showing of any European governing party in parliamentary voting, nearly final returns showed Monday, receiving more than 40 percent of the votes cast, a level no party has reached in any Italian election since 1958. |
| Mr. Renzi easily beat his principal opponents, effectively doubling the votes received by the anti-establishment party of Beppe Grillo and the party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who campaigned assiduously despite the restrictions imposed by a one-year sentence he is serving under house arrest. | Mr. Renzi easily beat his principal opponents, effectively doubling the votes received by the anti-establishment party of Beppe Grillo and the party of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who campaigned assiduously despite the restrictions imposed by a one-year sentence he is serving under house arrest. |
| “A historic result,” Mr. Renzi wrote in an Internet posting Monday. “Touched and resolute, now to work for an Italy that changes Europe. Thank you.” | “A historic result,” Mr. Renzi wrote in an Internet posting Monday. “Touched and resolute, now to work for an Italy that changes Europe. Thank you.” |
| Analysts like Roberto D’Alimonte, who teaches Italian politics at the Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome, saw the vote as a mandate to Mr. Renzi to push through the sweeping political and economic changes he has promised since he took power in February. | Analysts like Roberto D’Alimonte, who teaches Italian politics at the Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome, saw the vote as a mandate to Mr. Renzi to push through the sweeping political and economic changes he has promised since he took power in February. |
| The vote “is a message to go ahead, do what you promised to do, bring about change,” he said. “This is a vote for change, not the kind of change that Grillo advocated — wiping the slate clean — not radical change, but change.” | The vote “is a message to go ahead, do what you promised to do, bring about change,” he said. “This is a vote for change, not the kind of change that Grillo advocated — wiping the slate clean — not radical change, but change.” |
| Mr. Renzi quickly rose to the fore of Italian politics by pledging to enact far-reaching changes that aim to lift the economy and overhaul the country’s political and bureaucratic structures. “People believe in what he’s doing,” Mr. D’Alimonte said. “They’re giving him a line of credit. They’ve perceived that there is widespread resistance to the kind of change he has promised, and they’re saying ‘we’re behind you.’ ” | Mr. Renzi quickly rose to the fore of Italian politics by pledging to enact far-reaching changes that aim to lift the economy and overhaul the country’s political and bureaucratic structures. “People believe in what he’s doing,” Mr. D’Alimonte said. “They’re giving him a line of credit. They’ve perceived that there is widespread resistance to the kind of change he has promised, and they’re saying ‘we’re behind you.’ ” |
| In absolute terms, the Democratic Party gained 2.5 million votes from national elections last year, Mr. D’Alimonte said. “In other parts of Europe government parties — even Merkel — lost votes,” he said, referring to the German chancellor. “This is a party government that gained in difficult circumstances. Italians have decided to trust Renzi.” | In absolute terms, the Democratic Party gained 2.5 million votes from national elections last year, Mr. D’Alimonte said. “In other parts of Europe government parties — even Merkel — lost votes,” he said, referring to the German chancellor. “This is a party government that gained in difficult circumstances. Italians have decided to trust Renzi.” |
| Voter turnout was 58.7 percent, eight points less than the last European elections, when voting was held over two days, but still higher than expected. Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti, a member of the Democratic Party, saw that as a sign of growing confidence in Europe. | Voter turnout was 58.7 percent, eight points less than the last European elections, when voting was held over two days, but still higher than expected. Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti, a member of the Democratic Party, saw that as a sign of growing confidence in Europe. |
| “There is greater trust in politics; this is something we can bring to Europe,” she said on Italian television, attributing the success of her party “to the spiral of hope opened by the action of the government and the Democratic Party, which has shown that we are doing what we say we are going to do.” | “There is greater trust in politics; this is something we can bring to Europe,” she said on Italian television, attributing the success of her party “to the spiral of hope opened by the action of the government and the Democratic Party, which has shown that we are doing what we say we are going to do.” |
| Those who abstained are “waiting for a new political offer,” Massimo Franco wrote in a front-page editorial in the Milan daily Corriere della Sera that predicted an “ulterior evolution that will change the balance of power: the dissolution of the center-right is considerable.” | Those who abstained are “waiting for a new political offer,” Massimo Franco wrote in a front-page editorial in the Milan daily Corriere della Sera that predicted an “ulterior evolution that will change the balance of power: the dissolution of the center-right is considerable.” |
| Anti-European sentiment did not find a firm hold among those who voted, though the Northern League, the anti-immigrant party that put anti-Europeanism at the core of its campaign, received 6.2 percent of the vote, an unexpectedly good showing for a party that has been roiled by internal scandals. | Anti-European sentiment did not find a firm hold among those who voted, though the Northern League, the anti-immigrant party that put anti-Europeanism at the core of its campaign, received 6.2 percent of the vote, an unexpectedly good showing for a party that has been roiled by internal scandals. |
| Matteo Salvini, its leader, said the success of the party, which began as a northern separatist movement but gained votes throughout Italy on Sunday, was a sign that Euroskepticism was on the rise in Italy as well. “The euro is about to collapse, it’s time to start working on a post-euro vision,” he said on Italian television Monday morning. | Matteo Salvini, its leader, said the success of the party, which began as a northern separatist movement but gained votes throughout Italy on Sunday, was a sign that Euroskepticism was on the rise in Italy as well. “The euro is about to collapse, it’s time to start working on a post-euro vision,” he said on Italian television Monday morning. |
| The vote was seen as a striking defeat for both Mr. Berlusconi and Mr. Grillo, who lead parties that identify heavily with their founders. | The vote was seen as a striking defeat for both Mr. Berlusconi and Mr. Grillo, who lead parties that identify heavily with their founders. |
| Mr. Grillo had said repeatedly during the campaign that he would step down if his Five Star Movement did not better the standing it achieved in national elections last year, when it received 25 percent of the vote. In Sunday’s vote, the Five Star Movement received just over 21 percent. On Monday morning Mr. Grillo met with Roberto Casaleggio, the movement’s co-founder, to determine his next moves. | Mr. Grillo had said repeatedly during the campaign that he would step down if his Five Star Movement did not better the standing it achieved in national elections last year, when it received 25 percent of the vote. In Sunday’s vote, the Five Star Movement received just over 21 percent. On Monday morning Mr. Grillo met with Roberto Casaleggio, the movement’s co-founder, to determine his next moves. |
| The showing below 17 percent for Forza Italia, the party Mr. Berlusconi founded 20 years ago, echoes his waning political fortunes, exacerbated by his conviction last year on tax fraud charges. He is serving a year under house arrest, and earlier this month he began public service working with Alzheimer’s patients in a care home outside Milan. Mr. Berlusconi has never designated a successor, but the Italian media have widely speculated that he would turn the party over to his eldest daughter, Marina Berlusconi, who heads some of the family holdings. She has denied any intention to enter politics. | The showing below 17 percent for Forza Italia, the party Mr. Berlusconi founded 20 years ago, echoes his waning political fortunes, exacerbated by his conviction last year on tax fraud charges. He is serving a year under house arrest, and earlier this month he began public service working with Alzheimer’s patients in a care home outside Milan. Mr. Berlusconi has never designated a successor, but the Italian media have widely speculated that he would turn the party over to his eldest daughter, Marina Berlusconi, who heads some of the family holdings. She has denied any intention to enter politics. |