Fringe Parties Strengthen in Germany and Italy

Germany's northern Schleswig-Holstein state held regional elections May 6, and Italy held local elections nationwide over two days from May 6 to May 7. The elections saw support for traditional parties weaken and the share of the vote won by unconventional political parties — the Pirate Party in Germany and the Five Star Movement in Italy — increase substantially.

While neither of these new parties came close to garnering a majority in any of the recent elections, their emergence reflects a growing hostility toward the political establishment throughout Europe. However, this strong showing for the fringe parties may have been more the result of a protest vote against the major political parties than genuine support. Even if the Pirate Party and Five Star Movement are serious about building on the outcome of the May 6-7 elections, both have much work to do in defining their policy platforms and putting together national party infrastructure before they can pose a legitimate threat to the major parties.