Like his political counterpart Boris Johnson, Matteo Salvini’s gambit in Italy has also failed miserably

Exciting times! As the party of government drits rightward: an unscrupulous populist seeks to trigger elections to convert his minority into unstoppable majority. Meanwhile, the opposition, in all its myriad forms, is at sixes and sevens with itself.

A description of the UK in 2019? Not quite. For once, this is not about the rancorous doings of Boris Johnson the Blusterer. No: this is the tale of another populist, Italy’s Mateo Salvini, affectionately dubbed “il Capitano” (the Captain), who has just suffered one of the switest, most disastrous falls from political grace since Lucifer fell out with God Almighty! What went wrong?

Here is a story for our times: one to cheer the despondent, as well as provide a salutary lesson or two to unbridled ambition. It begins with an election, March 2018, and an inconclusive result. The largest party by far, taking 227 out of 630

National Assembly seats (and 32 per cent of the vote) was the contrarian 5Star Movement (Movimento 5 Stelle). On the right, a plethora of parties did well, but, with no one dominating, the runner-up was the ultra-conservative Lega on 123 seats (17 per cent of the vote). Close behind, the former ruling Partito Democratico (PD) with 111 seats (19 per cent).

Since both PD and 5Star are, approximately, let-leaning, many assumed this would lead to a Red/yellow coalition. The numbers were there; but this ignores the long-running hostility between the two. To the amazement of all, ater much wrangling, Italy adopted an interesting compromise.

A non-aligned PM – Giuseppe Conte – would preside over an unlikely alliance of contrasting populisms and two deputy prime ministers: Matteo Salvini, leader of la Lega, took the Ministry of the Interior; Luigi Di Maio, for 5Star, occupied the Ministry for Economic Development.

In early August, Salvini pulled the plug, declaring the coalition dead, arguing loudly that he needed “pieni poteri” (full powers) to govern effectively and demanding elections. This was an ill-judged turn of phrase, given that the last person to ask such a thing was Mussolini in 1922. And that did not end well.

But this was about the programme, no? Nothing to do with the fact that at 37 per cent, Lega, with potential support from even further right Fratelli d’italia, would likely sweep the country, forming the most right-wing government seen in Western Europe since the war.

Then it all went wrong. Slapping down his demand for elections, Conte said it was not for Salvini to summon parliament. Next, as Salvini and his party walked out of government, and Conte resigned, the unexpected happened.

First, Sergio Matarella, president of the Italian Republic, asked Conte if another coalition was possible: this time between PD and 5Star. At the same time, Salvini’s blatant bid for power went down badly. Very badly. Since July, the Lega vote has collapsed, perhaps by as much as a fith.

Still, the defenestration of Salvini was not entirely hiccup-free. Faced with crisis, the first response by PD was for current and past leadership to fall out. Then there is the enduring friction between PD and 5Star. Nor was it a done deal until last night, when Rousseau pronounced it so.

No, not Rousseau the 18th century philosopher, but Rousseau the online voting system, by which 5Star consults its members before any major change to policy and direction. And one final twist: the nail-biting finish was delayed as the system glitched at the last minute and those wishing to know the fate of Italy’s government waited for IT support to arrive.

Powerless and excluded, Salvini and his allies are let to fume about career politicians seeking comfortable seats at the table. Parallels can be overdone. But there is much here in common with UK. The game-playing. The unlikely alliances. Even the involvement of Steve Bannon who had been seting up a school for political gladiators in a former Italian monastery, until the culture minister threw him out. Those on the Italian let are not thrilled. But, they mostly concede, it is less bad outcome than might have been.

Last word, then, to Mateo Renzi, former PD secretary and former prime minister: “The UK and Italy have shown in the past few hours that our institutions are a serious thing, stronger than both Johnson and Salvini. Parliaments 2 - Populists 0”.