Well, it’s not exactly from Italy’s reform minded minister for Public Administration and Innovation, but the email address does say Renato Brunetta’s Staff. Was not expecting this!
Man of the Year Brunetta
Bit like the days, many moons past, when I managed to get myself in a spot of bother with the staff of England’s then Minister for the Environment, the late Nicolas Ridley, but that’s another story. Except this time, at least so far, I don’t seem to have got myself in trouble! Not yet, at least!
The email I’ve literally just received concerns slacker-buster Renato Brunetta’s new book ‘Rivoluzione in corso’, which, in English, would be something like: ‘Revolution in progress’.
The email also contained a link to the first chapter of Mr Brunetta’s book. The reformer of Italy’s sludgy public sector, Renato Brunetta does appear to have at least two non-Italian fans. One is media minnow, moi, and the other is a major league media mover and shaker, one Dennis Redmont. Who, it just so happens, I know. If Mr Redmont is Goliath, then I am David, only I’ve no intention of slinging stones at Dennis Redmont!
Sorry, I digress, as often happens. What caught my eye was a few lines taken from the first chapter of Renato Brunetta’s book. Here is part of what he says, which I have quickly put into English:
Rivoluzione in Corso
The crux of these pages is: change is possible, so we are duty bound to do something. One of the evils which afflicts our country is the widely held belief that everything is too difficult, maybe, useless.
- from the book Rivoluzione in corso by Renato Brunetta
I have to say that I totally agree with this opinion. Many Italians, though by no means all, do tend to think that things are just too darn difficult, and either give up at the first hurdle, or worse, don’t even bother starting in the first place! All in the belief that whatever is done will not do any good anyway. More often than is healthy, the Italian way tends to lead to a dead end.
That Italy appears to be sinking back into its bad old Mani Pulite crisis ways of the mid 90s would seem to bear out Mr Brunetta’s claim that Italians give up too easily. To coin an old English adage, what Brunetta is trying to say is: ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’. What Italy needs is more will.
Renato Brunetta seems to be displaying the will, let’s hope he continues to find the way. More to the point, let’s hope that the Italian way becomes exemplary. Yes, I know this is a dream, but then I am a Piscean after all!
As I think I’ve commented on more than a few occaisions, Italy is a good country, which with more effort, could become a great one.
Right, here’s hoping I can continue to read the first chapter of Mr Brunetta’s book via the web browser on my beloved Blackberry Bold, while I wait for my son to finish his judo lesson.
Oh, and should you be interested in reading what Dennis Redmont makes of dynamic Renato Brunetta, even if the title gives it away rather, read this article: Bravo Renato Brunetta, Man of The Year For Italy from the website of Turkish newspaper, Hürriyet.
Incidentally, Renato Brunetta is currently Italy’s most popular minister.
I’m still not too sure about Brunetta’s Smiley Faces scheme though 
Not sure how I ended up on Renato Brunetta’s staff’s mailing list either. Still, I don’t mind.
Find out more about Dennis Redmont on DennisRedmont.com
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Read the first chapter of Renato Brunetta’s new book, in Italian, here: Rivoluzione in corso
Last but not least, here is Il Blog di Renato Brunetta – in Italian
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This is an excellent time for Brunetta to elaborate on his theme. Was that people couldn’t get things done because the public servants were out of the office all the time (some had real jobs they were doing elsewhere!) and now we can see that people died because some Italians did not take their jobs seriously. One Italian said yesterday on TV, “Every time there’s a disaster we say never again shall children die in a badly built school. And then we forget until the next time and we say it again.”
Hi Judith,
Yes, I agree that recent events make Brunetta’s crusade all the more worthwhile. By not taking their jobs seriously, Italy’s public servants are costing lives in some instances.
“One Italian said yesterday on TV, “Every time there’s a disaster we say never again shall children die in a badly built school. And then we forget until the next time and we say it again.”
This one Italian made an astute observation. Shame Italy tends to be a forgetful nation. Events lead to lots of rhetoric, flurries of action, and then things seem to go back to SNAFU.
I, and I imagine you as well, see examples of this all over Italy. Schemes are, poorly, implemented, problems arise, and the schemes end up forgotten about in a bottom drawer, until disaster strikes, and then it is a case of rinse and repeat. Same old same old.
Brunetta seems to have strong work ethic and, having read some of the first chapter of his book, came from humble beginnings to be a government minister. He is proof of the pudding that hard work, despite Italy’s complications, can get you places. Oddly enough, a friend of mine from near the Venice area in which Brunetta grew up told me this a long time ago.
The northern Italian mentality is more down to earth than the southern one, it seems, those southerners who realise that they can go places often come to places like Milan where hard work tends to be more appreciated. There are slackers in Milan too – I’ve heard a few stories about people messing around all day in the office, and starting to do some work at 5, and staying until 8, so their bosses think they are hard workers. Such people can be difficult to root out, and in the meantime, have a negative influence on others who most probably think ‘What’s the point’ and start to become less conscientious.
I’m not sure whether Brunetta is more popular in northen Italy than in the south though! Would be interesting to know this, don’t you think?
Have a good weekend.
Best,
Alex