ROME - The right wing party Fratelli d’Italia has, according to the latest polls, this week become Italy’s second most popular party, behind the League, with the 5 Star Movement (M5S) slipping to third.

  The voting intentions poll, conducted by the EMG institute for Agorà, shows that in the last week Fratelli d’Italia has gone up by 0.9 percent to 18.5 percent and M5S is sitting just behind on 18.4 percent of the vote, having lost 0.6 percent.

  The League is still in fruit, having gone up 0.1 point to 22.2 percent, while the Democratic Party (PD) is sitting in fourth with 16.9 percent of the vote, having also gone up 0.1 point. Forza Italia and Italia Viva are sitting a bit further behind in fourth and fifth respectively. 

  This surge in support for the “post-fascist” Fratelli d’Italia, who are the only major political party in the opposition, will no doubt begin to worry Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s leadership. M5S, though, despite slipping to third still have the greatest proportion of seats in the Chamber of Deputies, with 163, while Fratelli d’Italia only has 36. The League, the most popular party according to the polls, has 132 seats.

  M5S have lost support recently following much in-fighting, as well as issues with their online platform Rousseau, and delays in restarting their bid for power with Giuseppe Conte one of those at the helm.

  However, things are looking better for Mario Draghi in EMG’s voting intention polls for leader, with him still well in front with 52 percent of people's backing, having gone up one point this week. Giorgia Meloni, leader of Fratelli d’Italia, has 44 percent approval and Giuseppe Conte 39 percent. Just behind Conte are Luca Zaia, the Governor of the Veneto region, on 38 percent, and Stefano Bonaccini, the President of Emilia Romagna, on 37.

  Those surveyed who claimed to have faith in the current government has in fact gone up by one point to 43 percent, though those who have little or none is still at 48 percent.

  EMG’s polls, however, are just one of many, and polls conducted by Youtrend for Agi show that PD is in second place, Fratelli d’Italia in third and M5S in fourth.

  Youtrend’s polling also reveals that Fratelli d’Italia’s popularity has gradually increased from 7.4 percent at the start of Conte’s second term to 18.5 percent now, while the League has done the opposite, going from 32.3 percent to 21.8 percent in the same period. M5S and PD’s popularity has been more or less unchanged, though support for M5S dropped massively after the start of Conte’s first term.

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