Vienna — Europe’s populists greeted with glee on Monday the demise of Italy’s premier but their enthusiasm was tempered by the failure of Austria’s Norbert Hofer to become the EU’s first far-right president. Topping off a 2016 that saw the shock election of Donald Trump as US president and Britain’s decision to leave the EU, Matteo Renzi quit on Sunday after a crushing referendum defeat. "My experience of government finishes here," Renzi told a press conference. Many mainstream politicians were uneasy about Renzi’s proposed constitutional reforms, while Italians fed up with the economy saw the vote as a chance to ditch him. But it was also a clear victory for Italy’s xenophobic Northern League and the Five Star anti-establishment movement, whose leader Beppe Grillo hailed Trump’s win as a "massive screw you". Grillo, who supports a referendum on Italy leaving the eurozone — and therefore potentially the EU — on Sunday demanded that elections be called "within a week". Anti-establish...
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