Monti and the polls

I've mentioned that I'm trying to get a better sense of Italian politics, to the extent that's possible during a month's visit.  And as part of my Italian lessons I can justify buying a newspaper every day or so.  Luckily, I bought a copy of La Repubblica today and happened on a piece by Massimo Giannini, one of the paper's editors.  He was reviewing most of the first year of Mario Monti's government.

Giannini took off from from what he noted had been a dramatic difference in recent polls between support for Monti himself and for his policies.  Regarding Monti, a recent poll by the Ipsos organization reported that 54 percent of Italians judged him favorably.  Several other polls report similar numbers, although a couple were about 10 points lower.

By contrast, when the same polling organizations asked Italians about specific measures, somewhere  between half and two-thirds of them expressed disapproval.  I was struck by this since I've generally thought well of Monti and his government and what they seemed to be trying to do.  I suppose nothing rearranges preconceptions like getting closer to the subject.

Giannini thinks those critics of the "Monti Agenda" in the polls are justified (although I suspect their reasons might not be quite as well worked out as his).  Generally, he thinks the government's measures on things like pensions, anti-corruption, labor market flexibility, and several others, haven't gone far enough and too often may end up increasing the burden on those who can least bear it.

He does allow that some of this is not Monti's fault, at least not directly.  Despite  general support from the parties, on specific issues he has had to negotiate and assuage their objections to proposals details.  Also, Giannini finds some of Monti's ministers have not been the most adept, thereby complicating passage of the government's measures.  And along with this, he things that high-level professional administrators have not always been as creative with new policy ideas as the economic crisis would seem to require.

So what does this split in evaluating Monti on the one hand and his agenda on the other mean for Italian politics over the next few months as political leaders position themselves for next Spring's anticipated elections?  Honestly, I'm not sure I know yet.  It's one more thing I'll be following.

Update: Yesterday, I said that I didn't know what this divide in opinions might mean for current political maneuvering.  Today, I'd add the following: It may continue support for the idea the idea of a “Monti bis.”  Monti remains valuable for the credibility he would bring to any successor government.  At the same time, it probably gives the parties room to criticize his record and make their own proposals.  In a democratic election that’s not a bad thing.  The test will be, though, how the next government treats this government’s reforms.
Will they be extended or curtailed?

Meanwhile, Italians still believe in political posters: