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| Italian election: L'Aquila's voters search in vain for a saviour | Italian election: L'Aquila's voters search in vain for a saviour |
| (4 months later) | |
| It is is many senses a neat metaphor for Italy itself: beautiful, but scarred and paralysed, battered by forces beyond its control, but seemingly incapable of resurrecting itself. | It is is many senses a neat metaphor for Italy itself: beautiful, but scarred and paralysed, battered by forces beyond its control, but seemingly incapable of resurrecting itself. |
| Almost four years after it was shattered by an earthquake, the mountain city of L'Aquila still looks as though it has been subjected to a sustained artillery bombardment. | Almost four years after it was shattered by an earthquake, the mountain city of L'Aquila still looks as though it has been subjected to a sustained artillery bombardment. |
| Through gaping holes in the sides of buildings, cupboards stand with doors wide open, left by owners who snatched up their clothes to flee in terror in the early hours of 6 April 2009. | Through gaping holes in the sides of buildings, cupboards stand with doors wide open, left by owners who snatched up their clothes to flee in terror in the early hours of 6 April 2009. |
| It seems unreal that a rich, western European nation in the 21st century could have made so little progress towards restoring to life a city of more than 70,000 people. | It seems unreal that a rich, western European nation in the 21st century could have made so little progress towards restoring to life a city of more than 70,000 people. |
| But the problem holding L'Aquila back is the same one that bedevils infrastructure projects and economic activity up and down Italy: the dysfunctional dispersal of power between various levels of government. | But the problem holding L'Aquila back is the same one that bedevils infrastructure projects and economic activity up and down Italy: the dysfunctional dispersal of power between various levels of government. |
| Responsibilities are divided between central, regional, provincial and municipal bodies, each of which can exercise a crippling veto over the others. To a large extent, L'Aquila's problems have stemmed from having a city council run by a different party from the one that held sway at regional and national level. | Responsibilities are divided between central, regional, provincial and municipal bodies, each of which can exercise a crippling veto over the others. To a large extent, L'Aquila's problems have stemmed from having a city council run by a different party from the one that held sway at regional and national level. |
| As a result, loyalties are divided in a bellwether city that more than once has switched allegiances in a way that reflected the humour of the nation. | As a result, loyalties are divided in a bellwether city that more than once has switched allegiances in a way that reflected the humour of the nation. |
| The vote here was Silvio Berlusconi's to lose. In 2009, when thousands were made homeless by the quake, it was the then prime minister who ensured many had temporary, but comfortable, accommodation: a flat in a timber-built block with even – an archetypal Berlusconi touch – a bottle of spumante left chilling for each new occupant in the refrigerator. | The vote here was Silvio Berlusconi's to lose. In 2009, when thousands were made homeless by the quake, it was the then prime minister who ensured many had temporary, but comfortable, accommodation: a flat in a timber-built block with even – an archetypal Berlusconi touch – a bottle of spumante left chilling for each new occupant in the refrigerator. |
| "But I wouldn't vote for him today," said Francesca Luzi, whose husband and two boys were rehoused. "Ruby, 'bunga bunga' – it's so embarrassing." | "But I wouldn't vote for him today," said Francesca Luzi, whose husband and two boys were rehoused. "Ruby, 'bunga bunga' – it's so embarrassing." |
| She knows the woman who heads the centre-left's list for the senate to be a "marvellous person". So, despite reservations about the Democratic party (PD) and its leader, Pier Luigi Bersani, she will probably vote for them. | She knows the woman who heads the centre-left's list for the senate to be a "marvellous person". So, despite reservations about the Democratic party (PD) and its leader, Pier Luigi Bersani, she will probably vote for them. |
| Why not Mario Monti, the head of Italy's technocratic government since Berlusconi left office 15 months ago? | Why not Mario Monti, the head of Italy's technocratic government since Berlusconi left office 15 months ago? |
| "Noooo!" said Luzi, appalled. "Monti and [his employment minister, Elsa] Fornero have brought Italy to its knees." | "Noooo!" said Luzi, appalled. "Monti and [his employment minister, Elsa] Fornero have brought Italy to its knees." |
| Life has not gone well for Luzi since she was first interviewed by the Guardian, just after she moved to her emergency housing. One of her sons has suffered from post-traumatic stress; she has lost another job; and with the economy still shrinking after a year and a half, her husband has been told he could be laid off. | Life has not gone well for Luzi since she was first interviewed by the Guardian, just after she moved to her emergency housing. One of her sons has suffered from post-traumatic stress; she has lost another job; and with the economy still shrinking after a year and a half, her husband has been told he could be laid off. |
| Monti, trailing fourth in the polls behind the populist Beppe Grillo, is paying for a lack of economic growth and the painful reforms imposed by his government to keep Italy from sinking further into the euro crisis. Yet, if Luzi's chances of returning to her home have improved in recent months, it is because a Monti minister cut through a poisonous dispute between L'Aquila's centre-left mayor and the rightwing governor of the surrounding Abruzzo region that had stood in the way of reconstruction. | Monti, trailing fourth in the polls behind the populist Beppe Grillo, is paying for a lack of economic growth and the painful reforms imposed by his government to keep Italy from sinking further into the euro crisis. Yet, if Luzi's chances of returning to her home have improved in recent months, it is because a Monti minister cut through a poisonous dispute between L'Aquila's centre-left mayor and the rightwing governor of the surrounding Abruzzo region that had stood in the way of reconstruction. |
| Berlusconi's instant apartments were widely appreciated but having provided shelter for the neediest cases, his plan for dealing with the disaster, rather like his last government, ground to a halt. Angelo de Nicola, another city-centre resident and author of a book on the earthquake, said: "I still have no idea what will happen to my house. There is no plan." | Berlusconi's instant apartments were widely appreciated but having provided shelter for the neediest cases, his plan for dealing with the disaster, rather like his last government, ground to a halt. Angelo de Nicola, another city-centre resident and author of a book on the earthquake, said: "I still have no idea what will happen to my house. There is no plan." |
| Under Italy's much-criticised electoral law, introduced by a Berlusconi government in 2005, local issues have little impact. The constituencies are enormous – in this case, the entire region of Abruzzo – and the only choice for voters is between lists of candidates drawn up in their respective party's headquarters. | Under Italy's much-criticised electoral law, introduced by a Berlusconi government in 2005, local issues have little impact. The constituencies are enormous – in this case, the entire region of Abruzzo – and the only choice for voters is between lists of candidates drawn up in their respective party's headquarters. |
| In last year's mayoral election, the candidate for Berlusconi's Freedom People movement (PdL) did not even make it to the second ballot. In response, the media tycoon and his party seem to have written off the city: Berlusconi has not shown his face there, and the first Aquilano on the PdL's slate for the lower house, the chamber of deputies, is ranked so low that he has scant chance of a seat. | In last year's mayoral election, the candidate for Berlusconi's Freedom People movement (PdL) did not even make it to the second ballot. In response, the media tycoon and his party seem to have written off the city: Berlusconi has not shown his face there, and the first Aquilano on the PdL's slate for the lower house, the chamber of deputies, is ranked so low that he has scant chance of a seat. |
| Berlusconi's climb back from the political dead has been at the centre of campaigning. Gaetano Quagliarello, a leading PdL senatorial candidate was hoping he could waft the disunited party to victory in a region that is very much "middle Italy". "But this is a strange campaign," he said. "We're not used to campaigning in the snow." | Berlusconi's climb back from the political dead has been at the centre of campaigning. Gaetano Quagliarello, a leading PdL senatorial candidate was hoping he could waft the disunited party to victory in a region that is very much "middle Italy". "But this is a strange campaign," he said. "We're not used to campaigning in the snow." |
| A cold snap gripped central and northern Italy on Thursday and was expected to last till Monday. It could decide the outcome of this closely fought election. A high rate of abstention would be bad news for the PdL: pollsters say Berlusconi voters make up a disproportionate share of the likely abstainers. | A cold snap gripped central and northern Italy on Thursday and was expected to last till Monday. It could decide the outcome of this closely fought election. A high rate of abstention would be bad news for the PdL: pollsters say Berlusconi voters make up a disproportionate share of the likely abstainers. |
| What it will do to the vote for Grillo's Five Star movement is anybody's guess, because not enough is known about its voters. Depending on that huge variable, the most likely outcome is that the centre-left will win an overall majority in the lower house, but not in the upper, where it would need to form a coalition to survive. | What it will do to the vote for Grillo's Five Star movement is anybody's guess, because not enough is known about its voters. Depending on that huge variable, the most likely outcome is that the centre-left will win an overall majority in the lower house, but not in the upper, where it would need to form a coalition to survive. |
| Back in L'Aquila, the mayor, Massimo Cialente, said he knew all about trying to govern in difficult circumstances. Rome has so far allocated some €4bn (£3.4bn) to his city and the 53 other municipalities affected by the earthquake. | Back in L'Aquila, the mayor, Massimo Cialente, said he knew all about trying to govern in difficult circumstances. Rome has so far allocated some €4bn (£3.4bn) to his city and the 53 other municipalities affected by the earthquake. |
| "We need at least €4bn more," he said, sitting chain-smoking at his desk. "The money runs out in September and from then on I don't know where it will come from." | "We need at least €4bn more," he said, sitting chain-smoking at his desk. "The money runs out in September and from then on I don't know where it will come from." |
| As is the case for Italy, time is running out for L'Aquila. Just as young and enterprising Italians are leaving to go abroad, Aquilani who despair of their city ever being restored are giving up and moving elsewhere. | As is the case for Italy, time is running out for L'Aquila. Just as young and enterprising Italians are leaving to go abroad, Aquilani who despair of their city ever being restored are giving up and moving elsewhere. |
| "This year, we've seen a sharp drop in school registrations," said De Nicola. "It's a sign that hope is dwindling." | "This year, we've seen a sharp drop in school registrations," said De Nicola. "It's a sign that hope is dwindling." |
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