Italy's Messy Election Result / Slovakia: Murder Leads to Political Crisis

A hung parliament in Italy and the prospect of a government led by one of two populist parties has caused a considerable amount of nervousness in Brussels. The maverick, eurosceptic Five Star Movement, which before the election rejected any prospect of a coalition government, has softened that stance since emerging the victor with 32 per cent of the vote. Government formation is likely to take several months and the anti-immigrant Lega party has also emerged as a major force, led by Matteo Salvini who has in the past spoken of selective ethnic cleansing in parts of Italy. On today’s podcast, Europe Editor Patrick Smyth reports from Brussels on why the Italian election is bad news for Europe and will further strengthen Euroscepticism in the EU. Also, Eastern European correspondent Dan McLaughlin has the latest on the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his girlfriend Martina Kusnirova, which has sent Slovakia into a political crisis. With further anti-government protests are expect, populist prime minister Robert Fico and president Andrej Kiska are at loggerheads, amid calls for a snap election.