Italians will drag themselves to the polls this Sunday, much as some go to church, more out of a sense of duty than conviction. But more than any election in modern times – and in Italy there have been many – this campaign has been fought amid a deep sense of national crisis and despondency.

It is not just that the economy is again hovering on the edge of recession – and, according to some surveys, nearly two-thirds of families cannot make it financially to the end of the month – or that the vast majority of voters detest a system that encourages unstable coalitions.