Listening to the numerous and amazing promises of the parties, I am seized by a sense of bewilderment and at times of discouragement. Is it possible that Italians can still believe in a world of toys full of maypoles? Is it possible that the peasant common sense of our grandparents who well knew that there are no free lunches has been put to flight by the common sense that travels on the uncontrolled circulation of fake news? Reading the newspapers, but above all watching the television shows of the candidates left free to say anything by shy interviewers, it is evident that the ordinary citizen is not provided with clear and rational tools to orient himself among the sea of affirmations of the various leaders.
It seems clear to me that beyond the many extravagant promises, the true meaning of these elections is being played out, as the old and wise Franco Ferrarotti so well said in a recent interview on FIRSTonline, on two fundamental issues: Europe and reforms.
Many parties blame Europe and the Euro for the Italian crisis. Completely incorrect accusation. One simple observation suffices to demonstrate this: all the countries that share the Euro recovered their pre-crisis income levels between 2011 and 2013 and are now several points above it. Only we (and Greece) are still 5 points below. So the Euro is not to blame (even if European politics has certainly shown various shortcomings), but the problem is above all ours. We have too high a debt and a low overall productivity due to the inefficiency of the institutional system and many service sectors.
The recipes that are proposed by the parties are not only ineffective, but if really implemented they would lead to the destruction of Italy's residual potential to keep up with the other countries and would open scenarios of marginalization and decadence.
Salvini, for example, apart from the abolition of Fornero and the expulsion of migrants, wants to put a tax on robots, introduce duties to protect Italian goods, and says that our citizens must eat things that we produce, without considering that we produce enough for everyone. Even the oil and wheat for pasta (Italian products of excellence) must be imported. Sometimes I wonder how do the people of the North whose prosperity is due to the opening of international markets, to follow such nonsense.
Meloni thinks of an agreed exit from the Euro, but this disruptive affirmation has not aroused the interest of Gruber and the other journalists present in the studio. It is therefore understandable that the Brothers of Italy are nostalgic for Mussolini's autarchy or worse for the social corporatism of Salò.
Berlusconi, apart from dentures, free cinemas, and pensions for all, continues to believe it possible to introduce a double currency oblivious to an economic law that has always been valid "bad money drives out good" so we will only have in our pockets am-lire devalued while the rich will have brought their euros abroad in time! Many say that Berlusconi shoots it big but then once in government he doesn't do little and therefore we need not fear great damage from him. But didn't his government bring us to the crisis of 2011 that due to internal conflicts and with the League was unable to prevent the storm that was building up over our heads? The League has twice been the cause of the ruin of the Berlusconi governments: do we really want to try it for the third time?
Di Maio, the new head of the 5 Stars, says he wants to take care of the well-being of Italians. Well, but the problem is not that of enunciating good intentions, but of how we will be able to ensure the happiness of the entire population. If the ideas are those of Prof Fioramonti who says it is wrong to pursue the GDP we are fresh! Just as putting a general of the Forestry Department who distinguished himself for the great lies said on the Land of Fires to the Ministry of the Environment is not very reassuring!
And in any case, it would be wise to stay a thousand miles away from a party that despises representative democracy and advocates direct democracy which is the antechamber of dictatorship!
Then there is Grasso who claims he wants to rebuild the left. But what does it mean in 2018 to be on the left? Insisting on inequalities to be overcome with higher public spending and more taxes? The truth is that the one led by Grasso is just a group of fake socialist nostalgics who have the sole idea of beating the Democratic Party, ousting Renzi, and returning triumphantly to the party.
Lastly, the Democratic Party and its coalition. In this gallery of horrors, the least worst appears. He does not think about leaving Europe or the Euro. He wants Italy to participate fully in the relaunch of the Union which France and Germany will surely want to attempt. He wants to continue the path of reforms, albeit more gradually, for example by completing those of the labor market with the introduction of the minimum wage and with the better functioning of Anpal. Support without ifs and buts is given to science (see the topic of vaccines) and to industrial innovation which is now also and above all extended to training. The economy is certainly improving, even if our structural deficiencies prevent us from walking faster. But the banks, one of the causes of the prolongation of our economic crisis (and perhaps the start of Renzi's difficulties) are in the process of recovery There is no mention of resuming the discourse on institutions but it is certain that sooner or later we will have to go back there that, as France demonstrates, only a governing democracy can defeat the nascent populist nationalism which, as the history of the last century teaches ad abundantiam, has brought nothing but tragedies and poverty.
