The election results in Italy are a lesson to Europe. Italians were once among the most enthusiastic supporters of the European project. This is true no longer. The combination of economic malaise with political impotence has discredited not only Italy’s political and policymaking elite, but even the country’s engagement with the EU.
意大利的大选结果给欧洲上了一课。意大利人曾经是欧洲一体化最热情的支持者群体之一。如今已不再是这样。经济低迷加上政治无能，不仅使得意大利政治和决策精英名誉扫地，甚至还危及了该国与欧盟的关系。
This does not mean Italy will leave; the costs would be too great. It means instead that the threat of both friction between Italy and the European establishment and further financial and economic disruption is now far greater.
这并不意味着意大利会退欧；退出的成本太高了。但这意味着如今两个大得多的威胁：一是意大利与欧洲建制派之间的摩擦，二是进一步的金融和经济动荡。
The election results are quite as shocking as the Brexit referendum and the election of Donald Tump in the US: 55 per cent of the voters chose Eurosceptic and anti-establishment parties.
意大利大选结果令人震惊的程度与英国退欧公投和唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)当选美国总统相仿：55%的选民选择了持欧洲怀疑论和反体制的政党。
The Five Star Movement — an amorphous party of protest — gained 32 per cent of the vote and the League — a rightwing nationalist party — gained 18 per cent. The share of the centre-left Democratic party, in which the European establishment had put its trust, tumbled from 41 per cent four years ago to 19 per cent. The share of Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia fell to 14 per cent. The populist revolution devours its parent.
Why are Italian voters so disenchanted? The obvious answers are that economic performance has been so dismal, while established Italian policymakers appear so ineffective. This is certainly not only — probably not even mainly — due to Italy’s participation in the euro. But the eurozone has made things worse. Not least, it offers an external scapegoat, which unscrupulous politicians are happy to exploit. Blaming foreigners is always an attractive strategy. In a failing country with a frustrated population, it is irresistible.
无组织的抗议派政党五星运动(Five Star Movement)赢得了32%的选票，而右翼民族主义政党联盟党(League Party)赢得了18%的选票。承载着欧洲建制派信任的中左翼政党民主党(Democratic Party)的得票率从4年前的41%骤降至19%。西尔维奥•贝卢斯科尼(Silvio Berlusconi)的意大利力量党(Forza Italia)的支持率降至14%。在这场民粹主义革命中，青出于蓝而胜于蓝。