We had received such a tongue-lashing for the last 17 months - public debt over 130% of GDP, tax take far too low, punishment by the markets, irresponsible behaviour and lack of civic pride, international scorn, private selfishness over-riding the public good.....on and on went the elites and the political establishment to the point we were getting sheepish and even considering owning up to these charges.
Napolitano II has saved the day. All the media say he has saved the day, both here and abroad. We must draw lessons from his behaviour: no need to follow the rules, rules have been set aside because of the crisis; our ethical and political stances must embrace the ethical and political stances of those who look to Berlusconi as their embodiment; pragmatic agreement and implementation of compromise on, well, almost everything really, is the act of the good citizen. We must consider our situation and act accordingly, regardless of rules, codes, higher things.
Italians have been returned to our existential comfort zone.
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In other words, Business as Usual. All pursuing their ideal of trying to be Berlusconi. But why on earth are financial markets rejoicing???
Rejoicing over the ending of the incoherent, economically illiterate Monti policies I imagine Anon.
Its a strange thing. Rejoice!
Italy has disappeared from the news in the UK.
The Alternative für Deutschland is now above 5% in the polls. Some going for less than 2 months of public life. It will be in Parliament after the next elections in the Autumn and possibly with considerable presence.
The English media are not given to reporting much on Italy or on Germany either. It's ages (2 years?) since Ambrose Evans-Pritchard wrote a piece suggesting it was in Germany's interest to leave the Euro. Italy's political revolt has been contained for now, but Germany's self-interest is a much greater threat to the EU elites than the impoverishment of the south has been.
Curiously the English media denounces the EU but rarely analyses European on-the-ground fragmentation. You English politicians tend to see Europe as foreign but not inherently unstable. Might you all drive the fracturing of the elites front a bit higher up the media agenda?
"no need to follow the rules, rules have been set aside because of the crisis": that's pretty much how the US treats its constitution - good enough for everyday but to be ignored if there's crisis.
Quite so, Dearieme but, I confess, if rules don't count we can all relax back into Italy's real constitution: family first, last and always. Our priorities have been re-asserted as the founding principle of our society.
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