• The forgotten crisi, the political one...

    But, where's Mario?
    Crisi it has to be the most commonly used noun in the Italian language. Crisi. There's la crisi (the crisis) una crisi (a crisis) la crisi finanziaria (financial crisis) and so on and so on. And yet, in all of this, we never hear of a crisi politica (a political crisis). 

    Silvio was forced to resign because of lo spread. Very little to do with the bunga bunga as many would have hoped. Mario, he reduced lo spread but then brought in l'austerita'; he didn't last much after that. Pier-Luigi, he according to the foreign press is the 'cigar chomping former communist', beating his much younger and apparently more popular political rival, Matteo, in the primaries; what a pity. Beppe, he's popular, but has already declared, 'I won't be president'. 

    Silvio, he promises to give back l'IMUeconomists can't figure out how. Mario, he promised that he wouldn't run for president, three months into campaigning he's a seasoned pro. Pier-Luigi, he should have had this all wrapped up, but now he needs his 'friend', Matteo to not blow a thirty percent leadBeppe, he's won in Sicily but he still won't see the inside of Palazzo Chigi.

    Silvio, Mario, Pier-Luigi & Beppe, they can't/won't even sit down together to discuss politics.

    Promises made, very few kept. A new Italy or one that refuses to change? La classe politica (the political class) with very few new faces, forced to be run by i tecnocratici (the technocrats) because the Italians wanted it that way... actually they didn't. The markets, the ECB, the EU, Angela Merkel, we all have our theories, showed their hands in that one.

    Lets take Elvira, from Naples. A lawyer and friend, disillusioned by party politics and it's public faces. "I have a thousand doubts, but I can't not vote. That's not an option. It's a delicate time for Italy, but who do you vote for? One man, Silvio, kept saying the economy was fine, right until the last day of the technocrats taking over."

    And then there's Michelangelo, 27 from Bologna. He's a customs specialist, by my calculations, this will be the third time he's voted, it hasn't deterred him. "Let's just say that the majority of people, from my point of view will still vote, they'll still be aligned to the ideologies that they've always lived by." He continues "there's a lot more resignation than apathy. Always the same people, very little innovative ideas, very few young people. Instead of whinging about the future, make a change, that's why you should vote." 

    There is a crisi politica after all, but nothing to do with the ministers, but it's voters. When you're presented with this as your choice, it's crisi, but of a different kind.

    0 comments → The forgotten crisi, the political one...

    Post a Comment