ROME – The annual report carried about by research agency Censis revealed on Friday the extent to which the Italian population is becoming “bitter” and “resentful,” Il Fatto Quotidiano reports.

 According to the 52nd report from Censis, 63 percent of Italians polled indicated a sense of hostility towards immigrants, while 52 percent were convinced that immigrants are being placed above Italians in the pecking order by various governmental programmes. The report claims that a nationalism more “psychic” than political has taken hold of large swathes of the country, partly due to the failure to recover from economic hardship.

 “The social system, which is experiencing tension, fear, rancour, looks to an authoritarian sovereign and asks for stability,” the report reads, analysing the recent surge in populist thinking, embodied by the presence of the Five Star Movement and League’s positions in government.

 However, the divisions published by the report do not just exist between immigrants and Italians. Tensions between different areas of the country were identified, as 69 percent said they would not want to live next to a Roman, for example.

  With respect to the future, only 33 percent of those polled expressed any sort of optimism. “These are figures of widespread bitterness that erect invisible, but very thick, walls,” the report adds, warning of the dangers of the current dissatisfaction in Italy.

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