Italy is facing a hung parliament after the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement surged in the election

Thomson Reuters

ROME (Reuters) – Italy faces a prolonged period of political instability after voters delivered a hung parliament in Sunday’s election, spurning traditional parties and flocking to anti-establishment and far-right groups in record numbers.

With half the ballot counted, it looked almost certain that none of Italy’s three main factions would be able to rule alone and there was little prospect of a return to mainstream government, giving the European Union a new headache to handle.

Scenarios now include the creation of a more euro-skeptic coalition, which would likely challenge EU budget restrictions and be little interested in further European integration, or swift new elections to try to break the deadlock.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

• Senior US diplomat to North Korea announces retirement
• Trump will have to weigh oil jobs against farm jobs at meeting to consider tweaks to biofuel policy
• In a blow to Trump, Supreme Court extends protections for Dreamers — for now

SEE ALSO: These 2 charts explain what could happen in Italy’s upcoming election

DON’T MISS: Legalised brothels, flat tax and a repeal of 400 laws: Here’s what Italy’s political parties are promising ahead of this week’s election