Which might be interpreted in our post-baroque world as
"Save those fleeing from terrorism before dealing definitively with the terrorists."
Pietro da Cortona, in his
Gli angeli segnano la fronte di coloro che devono restare illesi, [Angels mark the forehead of those who are to remain unharmed]
speaks with la muta eloquentia delle arti e dei loro generi di scrittura as clearly in modern Rome as he did in the 17th century.
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3 comments:
Chapeau!
Hi HG - can I ask you as a far more assiduous and better informed commenter than I... what is your take on this whole Italicum business? what's it all about??
I'm baffled absolutely.
Ciao.
The Renzi government is reforming the Italian constitution to: end perfect bicameralism (a naive and disruptive form of governance that leads to constant interruption of the Executive's, often quite reasonable, implementation of manifesto commitments; downgrade the Senate to a regional house, nominated by regional (with some elected) bodies to form an advisory and consultative House (this is what Labour propose for the UK but Labour want it to have more powers over national policy, I suspect); limit the post-War left-wing influence installed by Communists in the drawing-up of the Constitution, by altering the balance between regional and central government (cf above).
Italicum is strictly concerned with the electoral law; end over-control of party lists by party Leaders or factions within longstanding party coalitions (not enough, if I may say, but at least an improvement on every centre-right candidate being nominated by, say, Berlusconi, as was the case, or Bersani and the old CP being very pushy on the centre-left); end the party Leaders' complete control over nominations for MPs in the 'premium' awarded to the most-seats-most-votes party to give an absolute majority. As is clear, Italicum (and internal party power-structures) is bound up with the constitutional power-shifts being driven through and hence the sense of confusion for us outside observers.
The constitutional changes need two thirds majorities so driving the whole coach and horses through both Houses is some feat by Renzi.
I think, Bloke.
(All this is coming to the UK soon, particularly if the pressure for PR succeeds, and reform of the House of Lords, rather than its prompt abolition, is sought).
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