ROME - Italy has felt the full force of the coronavirus pandemic, with almost 290,000 cases and more than 35,000 deaths. And now, as the country tries return to some semblance of normality, a new threat to the status quo is emerging.
Italians have been losing faith in the EU since their nation became the front line of the European migrant crisis in 2015, with Eurosceptic parties gaining significant ground in recent elections.
But the final straw for many voters may be the perceived failure by the EU to help Rome at the height of the health crisis, with some commentators claiming that Brussels’ response amounted to no less than an “abandonment” of Italy.