Almost two and a half years ago, with Europe deep in economic recession, elections were held to the European parliament. They were notable for a record low turnout and for the failure of centre-left and leftwing parties to ride to victory by capitalising on Europe’s most severe downturn since 1945.

Particularly in the European Union’s biggest six countries – France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK – it seemed that voters, in so far as they trusted anyone, preferred centre-right and conservative parties to make a stab at steering their countries through hard times. But the weakness of the modern European left has deeper roots. To a large extent it explains the emergence of the technocratic government in Italy led by Mario Monti, the former EU commissioner.

Silvio Berlusconi, the centre-right prime minister who resigned this month, never tired of contending that Italy’s centre-left did not represent a credible alternative government to his own. Leaving aside the damning verdict that can be delivered on the credibility of Mr Berlusconi’s coalition in its dying days, the fact remains that he had a point.