He has been disillusioned with the party ever since. When Italians vote in an election later this month, Eremita will swing to the right, choosing the Brothers of Italy led by firefighter Georgia Meloni. “I like the way she talks — you feel safe with her. She is more credible than other leaders, even at European level,” said the 28-year-old, who works for the national highways management company. “I’m not racist or anti-gay. Once he is in government, he will compromise and not be so extreme.” Southern Italy – the country’s poorest region, where distrust of mainstream politicians and traditional institutions runs deep – was once an impregnable bastion of support for the Five Stars. The region, which accounts for about a third of parliament seats, voted overwhelmingly for Five Star in 2018. This helped the protest movement win 33 percent of the national vote, more than any other political party. But now his support in the south is collapsing. Many longtime Five Star voters plan to skip the upcoming polls, while others are moving to the right, attracted by Meloni’s charisma and innovation. Growing support in the south – including in sleepy towns like Caserta, where Eremita lives – is expected to help Italy’s 10-year-old Meloni brothers emerge as the largest party in parliament. Her right-wing coalition with Matteo Salvini’s League and tycoon Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia is projected to secure a comfortable majority. Edoardo Eremita has become disillusioned with the policies of the Five Star Movement © Amy Kazmin/FT Citizens’ income policy — Five Star’s flagship welfare program launched in 2019, which provides a monthly basic income for the unemployed — is one of the most polarizing issues ahead of the vote. Many employers blame the scheme, whose average pay this year was 582 euros a month, for their difficulties in finding willing workers. Meloni has vowed to scrap the program if she comes to power. Giuseppe Conte, the law professor who now leads Five Star, has vowed to defend it, warning of “civil war” if it is scrapped. About 1.5 million Italian households have received citizen income payments so far this year – about two-thirds of which are in the south, according to government figures. Meanwhile, employers across Italy, including small business owners, are complaining of severe labor shortages. “Instead of creating new jobs for young people, they created a tool to keep people out of work,” said Giuseppe Arrighi, 67, who runs a small barber shop in Caserta. Voted Five Star in 2018 and does not intend to vote. “I feel betrayed.”

Employers are not alone in their displeasure. Eremita believes that many new recipients of Citizens’ Income Payments work in informal jobs for which they receive cash, allowing them to earn more than he does after paying his taxes. His cousin, Francesco Gravino, 28, a train driver, is also frustrated by what he believes is widespread abuse of the welfare program. However, he says he is “torn” on whether to vote for Five Star or Meloni’s Brothers of Italy. “I’m all for citizen income for people who can’t work, but not for people who can,” Gravino said. Gimmi Cangiano, a Brothers of Italy parliamentary candidate from the southern Campania region who hopes to secure a seat in the region currently held by a Five Star member, said he expected many undecided voters to support Meloni. They are likely to be drawn both by her “advocacy” of their interests and by her strong Italian nationalism, he added. “A lot of centre-right voters who voted for Five Star are coming back now – it’s a homecoming,” he said. “Meloni has conveyed a lot about the idea of ​​the homeland. She calls herself a patriot and tried to give Italians that sense of belonging that has perhaps been lost in recent years.” However, the threat of wiping out citizens’ income is mobilizing support for Five Star among those who have benefited from the regime. “Other politicians are selfish, but [Five Star leader] Conte is for the world,” said Angela, 38, a mother of two who asked not to give her last name. She received citizens’ income payments of €350 every month for two years until she recently took on a part-time job as a school caretaker. Elisabetta Petti, a 47-year-old human resources consultant, has tried a wide range of options on Italy’s political menu – from Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza Italia, to Five Star and the centre-left Democratic party. But now she is so disillusioned that she is unsure if she will vote at all. Elisabetta Petti has not decided whether she will vote in the September 25 election © Amy Kazmin/FT Petti likes Meloni and the prospect of a strong female leader, but loathes Meloni’s would-be coalition partner, League leader Salvini, who mocked the south when he campaigned for northern autonomy. “She’s very combative — women are more combative,” Petti said. “But Salvini has said in the past that people from the south stink. It was very offensive.” Gabriele Quagliero, 78, a retired factory worker who voted Five Star in 2018, said he was done with politicians after successive disappointments. He believes that many old people like him will abstain from the elections. “I don’t trust anyone anymore,” he said. “I voted for Five Star hoping that something will change. But it didn’t happen.” He said some jaded voters were still tempted to try Meloni for one last roll of the dice. “I have a friend who says, ‘Meloni is my last chance,’” Guagliero said. “He’s going to vote for her just to see what happens.”

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