With the momentum on their side, the 5-Stars expressed minimal interest in any ambitious reform. Renzi’s Democrats and the center-right opposition of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi want the law changed to avoid such a big bonus to a winner, in case the 5-Stars garner the most votes. Elections are due in spring 2018, but with Renzi’s stepping down, they would likely be held sometime in 2017.
Another opposition leader, Matteo Salvini, of the anti-immigrant Northern League, hailed the referendum as a “victory of the people against the strong powers of three-quarters of the world.” He urged elections straightaway.
