Elections, appointments and verdicts
The latest round of regional elections in 2024 ended with a double victory for the center-left, which triumphed in Emilia Romagna, far exceeding pre-election forecasts, and also claimed victory in Umbria, where the outcome was far less certain. The Democratic Party (PD) celebrated the “extraordinary” percentages achieved, as described by its leader Elly Schlein, while the M5S reflected on yet another disappointing result in the regions. Voter disaffection once again weighed heavily on the elections: despite the two-day voting period, the turnout was dominated by abstention. In Emilia Romagna, non-voters could effectively be considered the largest “party,” with only 46.42% of eligible voters participating. This marked a dramatic 21% drop compared to the previous regional elections, where 67.27% of voters went to the polls. In Umbria, the situation was slightly better, with a turnout of 52.3%, still significantly lower than the 64.69% of the previous election.
On the European front, the highlight was undoubtedly the appointment of Raffaele Fitto as Executive Vice President of the European Commission. Following agreements reached among coordinators of the European Parliament’s committees and, above all, between the majority parties—EPP, S&D, and Renew—the official appointment is scheduled for the plenary session on November 27, alongside those of the two other Vice Presidents whose positions were still uncertain: Teresa Ribera (S&D) and Henna Virkkunen (EPP). The other three Vice Presidents, already confirmed, are Kaja Kallas, Roxana Minzatu, and Stéphane Séjourné.
The deadlock had arisen from the EPP’s request to include in Ribera’s evaluation letter a commitment to resign if judicial responsibilities were found concerning the Valencia flood. This demand was also supported by the League and the Patriots, who, however, did not vote for Ribera. In the end, the request was included as a minority statement. Meanwhile, the Socialists secured a note in Fitto’s letter stating that S&D and Renew do not approve of the Italian politician’s appointment, expect him to remain fully independent from his government, and commit to activating the rule of law conditionality mechanism if necessary, while also working to strengthen the rule of law within the EU.
In recent days, the international scene has been shaken by major developments: the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed at least from October 8, 2023, until at least May 20, 2024, the day the Prosecutor filed the arrest warrant requests”. A statement from the ICC described “a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza”.
In the past 24 hours, global attention has been drawn to statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding a possible lowering of the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. The move, justified by alleged missile attacks by the United States and the United Kingdom, represents an alarming signal in an already highly tense context.
In the same hours, Russia launched a hypersonic ballistic missile, named “Oreshnik,” targeting a facility in Dnipro, Ukraine. The weapon, capable of evading the most advanced defense systems, underscores Moscow’s determination to maintain pressure on Ukraine and the West. Putin has openly referred to a “global conflict,” warning that Moscow could adopt “symmetric” responses to any further hostile actions.
