Elections in South Tyrol: New center-right alliance in the Italian province

In South Tyrol, a new center-right coalition consisting of a total of five parties is to be brought together this Wednesday. Following the re-election of Governor Arno Kompatscher from the Christian Democratic South Tyrolean People’s Party (SVP), the Bolzano state parliament is now set to elect ministers. In recent weeks there have been protests in the largely German-speaking province in northern Italy because the alliance also includes three right-wing parties. However, Kompatscher rejected criticism in an interview with the German Press Agency.

The new five-party coalition has 19 of 35 votes in the state parliament. So far there has been a two-party alliance. However, in the election at the end of October, the SVP, which had been in power for three quarters of a century, fell to 34.5 percent. The new coalition includes the German-speaking right-wing party of the South Tyrolean Freedom Party as well as the two Italian right-wing parties Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) and Lega, which are also in government together in Rome. The smallest partner is the conservative citizens’ list La Civica.

Kompatscher defended himself against accusations that the new coalition would move South Tyrolean politics far to the right. “We will stay where we are,” the head of government told the German Press Agency. He spoke of a “community of convenience” and added: “We haven’t sold our souls. And we won’t do that either.” Kompatscher referred to the coalition agreement, which states a clear yes to Europe and a clear no to any fascist ideology. South Tyrol, which relies heavily on tourism, has around 530,000 inhabitants. Of these, two thirds have German as their native language.