“I ask Italians to give me full powers”, Matteo Salvini, the leader of the far-right League party and Italy’s deputy prime minister, declared last week after calling for an early election. The collapse of the coalition government with the Five Star Movement specifically follows his desire to electorally capitalise on a huge popularity and consequently monopolise Italian politics even more.

On Tuesday, he was virulently (albeit verbally) slapped by Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, during his resignation speech in parliament. He said Salvini was making an “irresponsible” decision, interested in “his own business”, and had a “lack of constitutional culture”. Although it is not yet clear when the next ballot will take place – as Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s president may reasonably appoint a new government involving the Five Star Movement and the centre left – the coming months are going to be really problematic for this important Euro-Mediterranean country.

10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Show all 10 1 /10 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Naples to Sorrento, Italy The beautiful bookends of the Bay of Naples are connected by the Circumvesuviana, a partly single-track railway prone to disruption and using rolling stock almost as old as the Roman Empire. But all is forgiven as it arcs around the bay beneath the skirts of that infamous volcano, Vesuvius. You can alight to explore this rumbling giant, or the cities that it devastated: Pompeii and the much less visited and more rewarding Herculaneum. Stay on the line to Sorrento and you discover one of Italy’s most indulgent resorts, itself a scenic wonder. Getty 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Hendaye, France, to San Sebastian, Spain From a station on the French side of the Franco-Spanish border, the narrow-gauge line steals across the river that makes the frontier, and then carves a course close to the Basque Coast – with a wide-screen vision of mountains, villages and the spectacular shoreline, before ending the journey in arguably Spain’s most glorious city. Getty 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe St Moritz to Zermatt, Switzerland The Glacier Express is the slowest “express” train in Europe, taking eight hours between these mountain resorts. The line between them owes its existence to an influx of wealthy tourists in the early 20th century, lured by the spectacular landscapes of the Swiss Alps. The route follows numerous gorges and the early stage of the Rhine. The engineering high point is the Landwasser Viaduct, which passes 213 feet over the Landwasser River before disappearing into a tunnel in the adjacent cliff. The altitudinal high point is the Oberalp Pass, where the line reaches a height of 6,670 feet. Getty 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Prague, Czech Republic, to Vienna, Austria Modern expresses use the historic line between the Czech and Austrian capitals, through deep valleys and across high moorland. While experiencing a slice of 19th-century Europe beyond the windows, you can enjoy free wifi and draught beer on tap. As you cross the near-invisible international frontier at high speed, toast the collapse of the Iron Curtain three decades ago. Getty 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Howth to Dun Laoghaire, Ireland The Dart (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) railway through the Irish capital is a humdrum suburban train that happily fringes Dublin Bay, connecting two fine coastal towns and giving a new perspective as it slices through the city centre. All yours in return for an investment of under €5 and under an hour. Getty 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Fort William to Mallaig, Scotland Scotland has so many superb rail journeys that it could fill all 10 spots. Many contend that the West Highland Line north from Glasgow over the wilds of Rannoch Moor to Fort William is the most spectacular. But the continuation to Mallaig is even more impressive. It offers views of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, as the train rumbles north and west parallel to the historic “Road to the Isles”. Pause at Glenfinnan for a walk to the viaduct that features in Harry Potter, or to stay the night in a vintage railway carriage. Watch the mesmerising scenery towards the raw edge of mainland Scotland – and, from Mallaig, the ferry to southeast Skye and the end of the world. Getty 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Villefranche to Latour-de-Carol, France France has Europe’s original high-speed rail network, but I prefer some other 20th-century achievements – most of all this absurd line from the pretty town of Villefranche, inland from Perpignan, into the high Pyrenees. This narrow-gauge railway folly took 24 years to complete, and today the engineering miracles of its creation still form part of the great SNCF empire. The Petit Train Jaune (“little yellow train”, which also has flourishes of red) even has open-top carriages in summer, for an all-round vision of some of Europe’s mightiest mountains. Getty 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Menton to Grasse, France Among the many other great journeys in France is this classic line along the Cote d’Azur west from Menton – on the border with Italy – but then turns inland to reach the fragrant Provencal hill town of Grasse. The train makes 26 stops between the two, including subterranean Monaco, handsome Nice Ville and high-end Antibes. At Juan-les-Pins, the line runs through a faded tableau of terracotta then converges with the coast. Getty 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Bucharest to Constanta, Romania The former eastern bloc has a million great train journeys, such as the line of the Orient Express through Bulgaria and the steam-hauled main line services in western Poland. They are also pleasingly cheap. Best of all is the four-hour journey from the Romanian capital, paralleling the Danube through bucolic countryside to the handsome resort of Constanta on the Black Sea. Getty 10 most scenic rail journeys in Europe Moscow to St Petersburg, Russia The journey between the present and past Russian capitals has neither the scale of the Trans-Siberian nor the drama of some other railways in the world’s biggest country, such as the line that runs between the mountains and the Black Sea serving the resort of Sochi. But its beauty lies in the way that it portrays day life in rural Russia – a sequence of images of cottages, lakes and meadows, into which grim Soviet relics only occasionally intrude. You can cover the 400 miles on an express in as little as 3h30m, but I prefer to take a slower train to appreciate the nuances – and to stop off in the fine city of Novgorod. Getty

The League is currently the best-supported party and can theoretically gain a hard-right and anti-EU majority in the next parliament. This represents a huge risk for the EU. Salvini’s movement has been so far able to alter the public debate and popular opinion so as to embrace his far-right platform of hatred and scapegoating over the European institutions, and especially immigration and any type of diversity.

This shift has been clear since the early stages of the coalition. When, in summer 2018, the new cabinet was established, it was infamously labelled the “government of change”. But major transformations have not been positive. Zero economic growth and quarrelling attitudes with Brussels were coupled with ignorance, strange links with foreign leaders such as Putin, the rejection of academic and teachers’ autonomy, nationalism and “memory lapses” on interwar fascism and the fascist antisemitic laws.

Xenophobic violence has similarly been on the rise. This new Italy under Salvini is evidently a much more intolerant nation. Almost like Spain under Franco’s regime, it is becoming a safe sanctuary for anti-democratic activists and (racist) right-wing extremists. Will Salvini’s tenure as prime minister lead to a further radicalization of public opinion and party politics? More than likely.

The League’s leader has every intention of moving Italy towards an Orban-like illiberal democracy. Another worrying side of the current situation is their bizarre understanding of democracy and power balance. Conte’s denunciation of Salvini’s policies came far too late. His government or the Lega’s local representatives supported, in various forms, apartheid-type resolutions; tried to silence dissident popular voices; defended the Duce’s figure and (some) policies; criticized judges and their autonomy; are willing to give more power to police forces; and promoted an anti-elite attitude among people.

This is clearly challenging for a relevant country such as Italy, a founder of the European community in the 1950s, but with a massive public debt, will the anti-EU turn prevail and support an Italexit?

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All options are on the table, including the worst nightmare: a future cabinet of the League, the neo-fascist Brothers of Italy, and Silvio Berlusconi’s declining party. The coming "anti-League" government and later, the elections, will be therefore central for the future shape of Italian democracy and the nature and frame of the EU.

The legitimization of far-right politics and some of the current semi-authoritarian stances have to be taken seriously. The new cabinet has to restore international credibility and play down anti-immigrant politics, anti-judiciary and anti-parliamentary approaches, but also avoid polarisation and social divisions. International media and democratic watchdogs should also monitor ongoing developments.

There is still hope to reverse this narrow nationalist tide, though this process will probably take years. Meanwhile, anti-fascist, pro-EU and anti-nationalist alliances should be established by opposition movements and anti-League forces. Grassroots activism is similarly necessary: we have to explain why solidarity, respect and tolerance are the pillars of any organisation of our social (and political) life.

Democracy is also a reasonably old and established set of rules and practices. But decades after dictatorships, it seems useful to remind citizens that nothing is immutable and fixed. Society may well shift towards an authoritarian entity once again.#