Two vacant seats of great political weight and both "Roman": that of Palazzo Chigi and that of San Pietro. The Italian elections and the election of the new Pope are inevitably intertwined, due to geographical and temporal proximity, but are they also destined to influence each other? A millenary and "global" institution like the Church will hardly be affected by our local quarrels, but will the elections of 24 and 25 February instead be affected by the very particular situation that has arisen in the Vatican with the resignation of Pope Ratzinger?
We asked two center-left political scientists from Bologna: Luigi Pedrazzi, a Catholic close to Giuseppe Dossetti, one of the founders of the magazine-cenacolo del Mulino, and Gianfranco Pasquino. pupil of Norberto Bobbio and former professor of political science in Bologna. The choice of Benedict XVI is judged in very different ways by the two observers: "It is news destined to deflate, like any other", comments Pasquino. "It's an earthquake whose extent is difficult to assess right now," says Pedrazzi.
FIRST online – Pope Ratzinger's decision fell like a thunderbolt on the dome of St. Peter's but also on all of us. Do you think it will affect the electoral campaign?
Pedrazzi – The significance of Benedict XVI's gesture is such that it will continue to be talked about for a long time and will certainly hold the stage until the election of the next Pope. The vacancy of the throne of Peter will in any case begin after the general elections and this is good for all of us . In this period, however, we will have to get to know the Cardinals and they are 117 and it will take time to understand what will happen. The limelight in the media will no longer be the exclusive prerogative of local political elections and this can only damage Berlusconi, who is the most 'rude' and able to win the attention of television cameras and the press.
pasquino – I think we are overestimating Ratzinger's gesture. I am amazed that the newspapers devote so many pages to this decision. I'm also convinced that voters will be able to listen to both events without being too swayed. I don't think the Pope's choice will overshadow the electoral campaign, even if the candidates in the field are so lackluster that everything can overshadow them. But voters are smarter than we think. The Pope's gesture will fill the pages in these days and, without wanting to be blasphemous, at most it will tarnish the Sanremo festival. Maybe Fabio Fazio will worry, or maybe not, because Littizzetto will have the opportunity to send some new message to one of her favorite interlocutors, in Eminence, Cardinal Camillo Ruini. As far as politics is concerned, 70% of Italians have already decided who to vote for and the remaining 30%, it is known, will decide in the very last few days. In short, for Bersani, Berlusconi, Monti or Grillo nothing will change and neither will it for us.
FIRST online – The Pope's decision is disruptive also for another aspect and that is because it shows how revolution can be made by respecting the rules to the letter. So does this gesture teach us anything?
Pedrazzi – Consider that Benedict XVI made use of a small norm of canon law. I believe that Ratzinger, a conservative pope, perhaps not so suited to government, did what he could and then, driven by physical discomfort, by the discovery of mortality that concerns us all, decided to make use of this possibility. Politics is a tough thing and you need broad shoulders and the strength of youth to govern with a firm hand, because the Pope can do everything and nothing at the same time, given that the work to be done is immense. Today we need a "scrapper", a strong young man, but the cardinals have been there for millennia, not for a few years and perhaps they will regroup in the emergency. The Pope took a step back, burned everyone in time and passed the hot potato to the conclave, which however is not made up of great theologians, but of practical men.
pasquino – I see nothing revolutionary in Ratzinger's decision. Consider the fact that he delivered the speech in Latin, an ultra-conservative choice. It would have been sensational instead if he had made the same speech in English. But is not so. I don't think there will be any problems with the succession. If he had died the Church would have found itself in the same situation.
