Referendum

Why Italy's Referendum Matters

This weekend, Italians will vote on constitutional changes proposed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. And although the vote is technically about reforms the 41-year old former Mayor of Florence wants to implement, Italians no longer see it that way. It's now a vote about the nation, its leadership, and possibly even its future relationship with Europe. Anti-establishment populists have rallied the citizenry against Renzi and the governing elites. This Sunday’s vote, The Economist notes, is effectively a “Renzi-ferendum.”

The irony is that Renzi rose to power on a promise to radically reform the Italian government. But even before he was elected Prime Minister in 2014, he was known as “The Demolition Man” (Il Rottamatore) of Italian politics. He earned the nickname by incessantly lampooning the government and pledging to upend the country’s political establishment. Today, he’s deemed part of the establishment.