Out with the new, and in with the old

June 14, 2008 · Filed Under Italian politics · 3 Comments 

If you read my previous post, and one entitled ‘The Right Way?‘, you could be forgiven for thinking that Italy is on the verge of seeing something of resurgence in fascism.

Well, Beppe Grillo seems to be of the same opinion, and the title of a recent post of his ‘Fascism is Coming‘, just about says it all.

Just to add fuel to your convictions as to just what is going on in the Living Museum, you may also dislike reading Grillo’s even more recent post ‘Bricks of Gold, Truncheons of Lead‘, which tells of the sort of strong-arm police tactics beloved of extremist regimes the world over. I recommend you don’t read it.

Somewhat ironically, Grillo’s so called anti-political movement appears to have allowed those at the top to find a way to become even more entrenched than they were before.

Is indeed Italy falling, as the title of this Italian blog in English would appear to claim?

Out with the new, and in with the old.

I guess what is simmering away just beneath the surface here in Italy could be a consequence of entrusting a 71 year old with the modernisation and reform of a country.

The news media here is awash with doom and gloom items, almost as if Italy is being prepared for something…

Or am I just being paranoid? But then with the likes of Fini, Bossi, La Russa, Maroni, Calderoli, and the B man in power, maybe I have every right to be.

Wasn’t Mussolini quite chummy with the Vatican too? And I thought the RC church disdained those who are divorced.

Spooky it is. This is the 21st century, isn’t it?!

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Pots Calling Kettles Black

March 5, 2008 · Filed Under Italian politics · 2 Comments 

As you may imagine, Italy is suffering from a minor bout of election fever at the moment. The general elections are just around the corner and election posters are appearing right, left, and centre.

I’ve seen a couple of amusing ones, so far. First there was this lovely one from the Berlusco-Fini duo which, much as I have done, pointed out that the left wing politcos are trying to re-package themselves in an attempt to appear new.

This was a ripe observation coming from the Berlusco-Fini camp, seeing as neither are new to Italian politics either. And I do believe that more than a few potential voters realise this.

Anyway, there was another interesting election poster. This time it was promoting one Ignazio La Russa, again a sort of right winger like Berlusco and Fini, and this poster had black and white mug shots of Veltroni and Prodi next to one another. Again the point of this not so subtle electioneering exercise appeared to be that Veltroni was about as new as Prodi. And just for good measure, the photos of Veltroni and Prodi appeared to have been re-touched a wee bit to make Veltroni look as old as Prodi. If it weren’t so sad it would be quite amusing.

Oh, and Ignazio La Russa has been in Italian politics about as long as anyone can remember, so he’s also playing the kettle, if you catch my drift.

Yes, as you may have guessed, the theme behind the current election circus in Italy is that everyone is doing his level best to portray himself as being something new. Obviously they’ve all been reading Beppe Grillo’s blog.

I’ve heard it said that Italian politicians are masters of the art of re-invention, and I’m seeing evidence of just this springing up in the election posters all over Milan.

The truth of the matter is that nobody who is making a grab for power here in the Living Museum is at all new, up to and including the almost newest of the bunch, Mr Veltroni.

Trouble is, the poor old Italian voters really have no choice. Either they get someone who they had before, and who did not manage to sort things out, or they get someone else who they had before, and did not manage to sort things out. Quips he, repeating himself.

Still, I quite like the idea of this making out you are new thing. I think I shall have a go too. Maybe I could start by pretending that I have not met anyone before. I might get some funny looks, but you never know, they may well fall for it.

By the way, I’d like to welcome you to the new Blog from Italy. Oh, I know it’s not really new, but if I tell you it is, you might just believe me. Not.

Heck, I don’t know.

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Walter Veltroni - regurgitation?

February 12, 2008 · Filed Under Italian politics · 3 Comments 

There appears to be a new kid on the block - and it is one Walter Veltroni. I thought some of my readers may like to know a little more about this leader of the newly formed Italian Partitio Democratico - Democratic Party.

Veltroni a former journalist who was editor-in-chief of the Italian left leaning newspaper L’Unità. He was a member of the Italian communist party who was involved in the transformation of the Communist party into a new animal that went by the name of the Social Democratic party. Veltroni was also mayor of Rome, and, appears to be something of a socialite. He has also been awarded a couple of honours in Italy, from an honoris causa degree in Public Services by the John Cabot University of Rome to the Knight of the Great Cross, Italy’s highest award.

Right, that’s the good stuff, I suppose you could say. Now the more interesting stuff.

Veltroni appears very much to be an Italian politician of the old school, and was Deputy-Prime Minister and Culture Minister between 1996 to 1998. The fact that Piero Fassino publicly requested that Veltroni run for party leadership would seem to confirm that Veltroni, who has been away from the political spotlight for some time, could possibly be an attempt by the old guard to create the impression that they are not as old as they seem. A moderate attempt to sate the oft expressed desires of the Italian people to see some new faces in the same-old, same-old world of Italian politics. However, Veltroni is not so much new as regurgitated.

The fact that the V-man is a communist should not be much cause for concern. Italian communists are very distantly related to the late ‘ins’ of Russia and Mr Mao of China. Although Veltroni does appear to have a little in common with the famous communists of old, in that he appears to be slightly allergic to free speech. This further demonstrates that he belongs with many of the old faces of Italian politics. Anyway, Veltroni now says that he is no longer a commy, so that means the Italian voters have marginally less to worry about.

I think this post from Beppe Grillo’s blog would appear to confirm that Vetroni is very much ‘in’ with the in-crowd in Italian politics. And there are more posts on Mr Grillo’s blog that do not exactly paint the V-man in a hopeful light.

On the basis of the above, I’m not so sure that Veltroni offers much of an alternative to the poor Italian voters. Time will tell.

Italian politics is still in desperate need of new, and younger, faces.

Main source of information about Walter Veltroni - Wikipedia

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