On March 4, Italians go to the polls in a national election (paywall). The governing center-left party is expected to suffer at the hands of populist parties, as economic stagnation encourages citizens—millions of whom have been pushed into poverty—to shake things up.


On March 4, Italians go to the polls in a national election (paywall). The governing center-left party is expected to suffer at the hands of populist parties, as economic stagnation encourages citizens—millions of whom have been pushed into poverty—to shake things up.
Inflation-adjusted GDP per capita in the euro zone’s third-largest economy has fallen since it joined the common currency:
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The dire state of the Italian economy has right-wing and populist politicians campaigning on huge spending boosts, including promises of a basic income, to lure in voters. It might work: Italy has the third-highest rate of people at risk of poverty in the euro zone (after Greece and Lithuania), with 3 million more people pushed into this precarious position since the 2008 financial crisis.