Italy’s municipal elections: the beginning of the end for the Five Star Movement?

Despite leading many opinion polls at the national level, Italy’s Five Star Movement (M5S) suffered a disappointing result in the first round of municipal elections on 11 June. Fabio Bordignon argues that the result should not be translated into national support as the party faces several obstacles that prevent it from effectively fighting local elections. The most likely picture for the next general election remains a three-way contest between the centre-left, centre-right and the M5S

Will Italy’s constitutional referendum mark the beginning of a ‘Third Republic’?

On 4 December, Italy will hold a referendum on constitutional reform that has come to be viewed as a vote of confidence in Matteo Renzi’s government. Fabio Bordignon writes that Italy now has two very different paths in front of it: a Yes vote will potentially lead to a more presidential form of politics, while a No vote could generate substantial uncertainty over the country’s political trajectory. He argues that the victory of Renzi’s camp would lead to a majoritarian – and de facto presidential – democracy, inaugurating Italy’s ‘Third Republic’

Silvio is back: understanding Berlusconi's latest revival ahead of the Italian general election

Despite currently being banned from holding office, Silvio Berlusconi is well placed to have a key role in the Italian general election in March. Fabio Bordignon outlines the factors behind his latest comeback, and how his Forza Italia party could play a central part in the formation of the next Italian government

In and out: Emmanuel Macron’s anti-populist populism

Emmanuel Macron has cultivated an image as a political outsider, but some of his critics accuse him of being more closely integrated with the French establishment than he claims. Fabio Bordignon characterises Macron’s candidacy as ‘anti-populist populism’, suggesting that despite appealing to the political centre and being staunchly pro-EU, Macron has adopted a form of ‘soft populism’ to capitalise on the current anti-establishment political climate in France

The 5 star people and the unconventional parliament

Upon its debut in the February 2013 Italian General Election, the Five Star Movement (M5S), led by former comedian Beppe Grillo, managed to become a major political force in the Italian political system, upsetting the bipolar structure that had existed for nearly twenty years. This article uses the concepts of populism and anti-politics to explore the idea and practice of democracy promoted by the M5S and its leader. Focusing on the first months spent in public office by 5 Star representatives, it analyses the effects of the Movement on the system, and the effects of the system on the Movement. The outcome of this crucial transition seems to be twofold: on the one hand, a process of (partial and complicated) institutionalization of the Movement itself; and on the other, simultaneous traces of de-institutionalization of the institutions, through the affirmation of practices and a style of political action that evoke the image of an "unconventional" Parliament

Where has the protest gone? Populist attitudes and electoral flows in Italian political turmoil

What happens when anti-establishment political actors gain strength, enter institutions, and even become the new establishment? To what extent are their elec -toral profiles a nd t he d emands b ehind t hem n ormalised b y t he s ystem? Th is ar ticle uses ITANES surveys to investigate voters’ reactions to the different paths taken by the three main protagonists of the 2016-2020 Italian populist wave: the M5S, the Lega, and FDI. In particular, it uses panel data to study the evolution of populist attitudes and protest drivers, as well as their connection with el ectoral flows a nd p arties’ s trategic choices. The m ost s triking c hange c oncerns t he r edefinition of th e po litical ou tlook of 5-star voters, who have significantly reduced their populist stances. However, the trans-formation of the M5S into a government party produced significant o utflows of vo t-ers who already in 2016 expressed greater resentment towards political elites. Thesedynamics have largely favoured parties of the populist right – the Lega and then espe-cially FDI – which have preserved or even re inforced their (electoral) profile a s a nti-establishment parties

The Suicide Gene Therapy Challenge: How to Improve a Successful Gene Therapy Approach

The transfer of a suicide gene into donor lymphocytes to control alloreactivity in the context of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) represents the widest clinical application of T-cell based gene transfer, as shown by more than 100 patients treated worldwide to date, several phase I–II studies completed, and a registrative phase III study, sponsored by a biotech firm, about to begin. In this mini-review, we will summarize the clinical results obtained to date, and attempt to identify the steps envisaged to optimize the suicide gene therapy approach

512 the cytokine release syndrome crucially contributes to the anti leukemic effects of cd44v6 car t cells

Background: Despite the remarkable clinical results of CD19 CAR-T cells in B-cell leukemias, their long-term efficacy is limited by the emergence of CD19-loss escape variants. Moreover, whether the cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is necessary for durable remissions is a matter of debate. Currently available xenograft models in NSG mice are not suited for studying the antitumor effects of CAR-T cells beyond 3-4 weeks, because of xenograft-versus-host disease (X-GVHD). Moreover, since NSG mice lack functional myeloid cells, the CRS does not develop. Aim: To verify whether the CRS contributes to the antileukemic effects of CAR in an innovative xenotolerant mouse model.Results: NSG mice triple transgenic for human IL-3, GM-CSF and SCF (NSG-3GS) were sub-lethally irradiated and injected intra-liver with human HSCs soon after birth, enabling an accelerated and better balanced lympho-hematopoietic reconstitution compared with NSG mice. Reconstituting human T cells were single CD4+/CD8+ T cells, representing all memory sub-populations. After ex vivo isolation and activation with CD3/CD28-beads and IL-7/IL-15, NSG-3GS T cells were transduced with a CD44v6 CAR, retaining an early-differentiated (stem-cell/central-memory) phenotype and full antitumor functionality against acute myeloid leukemia (AML). NSG-3GS-derived CD44v6 CAR T cells were subsequently infused in tumor-bearing secondary recipients previously humanized with autologous HSCs. CAR-T cells persisted in vivo for at least 6 months and mediated durable leukemia remissions (P<0.001 vs controls) in the absence of X-GVHD. Tumor clearance associated with an acute malaise syndrome, characterized by high fevers and a surge in human IL-6 levels, which was lethal in 30% of the mice. Differently from CD19 CAR-T cells, the CRS by CD44v6 CAR-T cells was significantly anticipated (3 vs 8 days), coinciding with human CD44v6+ monocyte depletion. In humanized mice, previous myeloid-cell depletion by clodronate administration completely prevented this syndrome, but associated with late leukemia relapses. Conversely, mice developing the CRS entered a state of durable and profound remission, as demonstrated by prolonged observation times and secondary transplantation. Conclusions: By using an innovative xenotolerant mouse model, we have demonstrated that the CRS is needed for sustained antileukemic effects by CD44v6 CAR-T cells

Reaction: Italian referendum and Matteo Renzi’s resignation

Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, has announced he will resign following defeat in the country’s constitutional referendum. We asked a number of EUROPP contributors for their immediate thoughts on the result, Renzi’s resignation, and where Italy is heading next. Alberto Alemanno: “The vote has killed the dream of once in a generation change” James Newell: “The result was not simply another anti-establishment revolt” Andrea Lorenzo Capussela: “Rationality imposed itself, and in large numbers” Silvia Merler: “Italy is now headed for a complex and delicate period of political and economic uncertainty” Lorenzo Piccoli: “Renzi did not have much choice but to resign” Jonas Bergan Draege: “Both the M5S and Lega Nord could emerge strengthened from the No vote” Angelo Martelli: “The determinant factor of Renzi’s defeat has been the sluggish pace of the Italian recovery” Davide Morisi: “The correlation is clear: Renzi’s personalisation strategy has backfired” Mattia Guidi: “Listening to the will of the people will be a hard task: several questions have no answer at present” James Dennison: “This was no Brexit-Trump moment: The package of reforms was complex and broad enough for citizens of all stripes to find cause for concern” Fabio Bordignon: “Renzi’s 41% – ironically, the same result he had obtained at the 2014 European election – became the symbol of his defeat