I had that Massimo D'Alema (Italy's 77th prime minister since 1946, from 1998-2000) in the back of my car last night, on the way to the formal dinner. He had been scheduled to speak (allocated 9 minutes - 12.39 to 12.48) in the section on regional systems of global security. He'd reneged on the extraordinary grounds that Silvio Berlusconi, who speaks at the plenary session today, is both capable of, and prone to, saying anything at all. To make outlandish suggestions such as that Russia should join NATO, which would have been grossly at odds with D'Alema's stance and Party's politics. (It is very bad form to clash with one's own Head of Government at these jamborees; leads to speculation that a country is changing its policies or otherwise coat trailing).
Despite being the former leader of the former Italian Communist Party, D'Alema claimed to be convinced of Gianfranco Fini's sincerity, of his integrity, despite Fini being the former leader of the former Fascist Party, which thus enabled a good working relationship and a proper opportunity in combination with the PD, to drive Berlusconi from office, .
"But he's a Fascist" I remarked angelically. "Once a Fascist, always a Fascist. It's a matter of the heart as well as the head, a way of viewing the world, not just politics. We can't vote for him ever." Then I remembered the Communist past. Same difference. Woops.
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2 comments:
An Italian Nazi-Soviet Pact?
Well, those categories are a bit passe, but Berlusco and Putin are very best friends Raven, as you know. They have very similar personal styles, too, which may be why they get on so well. But only a fool would underestimate Berlusconi because of his vulgarity. The man is a politician and populist to his toenails.
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