An Unconvincing Victory for Italy's Ruling Party

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party won a bittersweet victory in regional elections May 31. Though the ruling party won five of the seven regions that held elections, voter turnout was particularly low and fewer votes were won than expected. In May 2014, the Democratic Party won a landslide victory in elections for the European Parliament. A year later, Renzi's party has weakened, despite still being Italy's most popular. Renzi benefits from a fragmented opposition, but discord among members of his government threatens his reformist agenda.