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| the award for headline of the year goes to The Daily Telegraph |
Since my acquaintance with this country a
certain Mr B has dominated the political landscape, so much so that it seems
strange to think he’s no longer there.
While many an Italian was rejoicing at the demise I wonder if the countries
satirists were thrown in a pit of despair at the loss of such a
rich vein of material. But then again Mr
B had become such a parody that there really was no need to add satire.
I have always wondered how Italians came to elect (three
times) a man for whom the word buffoon seems to have been invented. Italian
politics are a complicated and opaque world and certainly not one that I can
begin to sum up in a superficial blog nor would I have the arrogance to suggest
I am qualified to do so. Given that he
first came to power after the reigning government was exposed as having its
hands in so many tills that the prime minister fled the country perhaps he did
seem like a breath of fresh air. The
fact that he owns several television stations and newspapers did help PR
matters. Or were the Italians seduced by
the narrative of the vacuum cleaner salesman and sometime cruise ship singer pulling
himself up to be a media mogul and one of the richest men in the country? Who can blame them for thinking that maybe
some of that magic would rub off but once in power things where a different
matter. There’s a quote attributed to Pope Leo X which
I’m often reminded of when I think about Mr B and his time in office. From his seemingly endless partying,
appointing a string of MPs whose main qualification for the job was a pretty
face and breasts, to the changing of laws to suit his business interests or
avoid prosecution the cynicism of Pope Leo to me perfectly sums up the last few
years of Italian political life - "Since God has given us the Papacy, let us
enjoy it." – substitute a couple of words and I think you’ll
have it.
Once in power and, at least in my opinion, showing himself
to be at best hopelessly inadequate and at worst corrupt he was voted back
twice to form the longest serving Italian government since Mussolini. Why?
You could argue it was a lack of an effective opposition or it could be
the appeal to self interest or did all the favourable media coverage lead the
country to think he was doing a good job?
Well the reason was – Oh hell search me I have no idea, it really is
mind boggling that he was voted in once let alone three damn times.
At the end of it all Mr B wasn’t brought down by any one of
the number of personal, political or business scandals that became so common
that one didn’t even raise an eyebrow but by the enormity of the European financial
crisis. Once the crisis turned towards
Italy his demise was swift, watching his leaving I got the impression that B is
genuinely bewildered as to how events turned against him. From being the astute media player suddenly
the populist touch deserted him. Many
Italians were angered by his glib assertion that everything was ok as the bars
and restaurants of Italy were full without a mention of the growing hardships caused
by austerity measures. B has left the
country with one hell of an overdraft, rising unemployment and the (temporary)
suspension of democracy – the current and polar opposite Prime Minister Mario
Monti was appointed to the position by the president. The country like much of Europe is in a mess
and one that will most likely get worse before (if) it gets better.
As for Mr B have we seen the last of him? Will he be happy to retire to his villa or is
he plotting a return. He has kept himself busy releasing an album of co-written love songs just a week after leaving office. Given that now he
is out of power his immunity from prosecution has gone and that his party is
still the biggest in Parliament it’s hard to believe this is the end of him. I personally don’t think it will be too long
before the perma tan returns – just long enough for the public to blame the
current government for the continued economic hardship that’s my guess. “Men are so simple and so much
inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for
his deceptions.” Machiavelli
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