"Nothing can replace the parties, but they must quickly renew themselves". The speech delivered yesterday in Pesaro, on the occasion of the celebrations for the liberation of Italy from Nazi-fascism, by the President of the Republic was a politically important speech. Giorgio Napolitano first invited the Italians "not to give in to the sirens of anti-politics that attack the parties", all of them, as if they were in a "single cauldron". So he indicated three fundamental tasks for their renewal: 1) confront the Monti government, until the end of the Legislature, to make the country grow; 2) do not hesitate and do not delay in establishing new criteria and limits for their financing, 3) make a new electoral law, taking advantage of the fact that now the conditions are more favorable to finding a common path.
For the first point it is clear that that of the head of state is a significant stop to those whispers and suspicions that the parties throw in each other's mouths, about possible temptations of early elections in October. Hypothesis not appreciated by the Quirinale which thus confirms the time horizon of the Monti government in the end of the Legislatrura.
As for the new rules for the financing of political forces, Napolitano underlines the necessity and urgency, while at the same time warning citizens of the many demagogues who, on the right and on the left, without distinction of any kind, attack the parties, as if they were a single whole. Napolitano significantly recalled that, in the aftermath of the liberation, at the dawn of the Republic, the demagogue of the moment (Guglielmo Giannini) found himself founding the party of the ordinary man, which "in a short time disappeared without leaving any positive trace for the political and for the country".
Il third point focused by the head of state is to change the electoral law by giving back "to citizens the possibility of electing their representatives and not of voting for those nominated by party leaders". Today, explains Napolitano, conditions are favourable, probably referring to the fact that most of the parties have found themselves backing the government. However, it should be noted that electoral reform is easier at the beginning than at the end of a term. But, during the Berlusconi government, the centre-right has always resisted changing the Porcellum, considering it a system favorable to the majority. Now that the Lega-Pdl axis has collapsed, it was Berlusconi himself who said that with this system (the Porcellum) the centre-left would win. All this could facilitate a rapid agreement between the major parties. Which, however, is by no means obvious”.
Finally also Mario Monti in his speech on 25 April he called for a common effort by the political forces to get out of the crisis. An effort of unity like the one that the anti-fascist parties made in the aftermath of the Liberation.
