But, as increasingly happens in Minnesota, this is a three-way race, with the seat also being contested by James Gibson of the newly formed Independence Party, the Venturan rump of the Reform Party which the governor left in February.

ECONOMIST: Senate races

In recent years the Tory Reform Group, which is on the left of the party, has seemed out of tune with the Tory mainstream.

ECONOMIST: On the up

The leader of the Democratic Party of the Left has invested a lot in constitutional reform, and failure would hurt him.

ECONOMIST: Italy