Things are looking grim for Italy. Mario Monti is facing increasing opposition and obstruction from Italy’s mainstream political parties on all sides – left, right, and center, literally.
The fact is Mario Monti’s technocrat government has lost momentum. At the time Silvio Berlusconi was ousted, the situation was extremely serious and all of the political parties were terrified. Their abject terror led them to tow the Monti line.
Now, it seems, the terror has past and the politicians think the time has come for them to make a fresh bid for power. Heaven help Italy if this happens.
The only thing all the politicians occupying seats in Italy’s two houses of parliament have proved beyond all reasonable doubt, and then some, is that they are completely and utterly incapable of running Italy.
Further evidence of their inability to direct Italy is offered by the following facts:
- the honorable ladies and gentlemen are blocking anti-corruption legislation,
- they won’t all allow labor law reforms to be passed, and
- they are bickering over sorting out Italy’s snails pace slow legal system…
…amongst other things.
In short, Italy’s political classes seem to be content to let Italy go to the dogs, provided they can keep their fat salaries and pensions packages.
Italians, meanwhile, are becoming hopeless, disillusioned, and frustrated. Many would welcome the opportunity to leave Italy once and for all.
What can be done to save Italy? What Italy desperately needs is a parliament made up of competent, responsible and honest politicians – people who believe in Italy and who do not want to pass their time playing silly little power games while the nation slides slowly but surely down the plughole – which is exactly what is happening now, and is what has been happening for far too long in Italy.
Italians could wait for general elections to be called, but aside from Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement, which is untried and untested – but most probably better than the current crowd, there is no alternative to Italy’s past masters, whose leadership of Italy has been anything but masterful, quite the opposite, in fact.
Referendum Time!
The only possible direction for Italians to take to sort out their dire political class and find a decent group of politicians is to call a referendum and the objective of this popular vote would to sack every single last one of the current politicians who sit in both houses of Italy’s parliament, with the possible exception of Monti and his cabinet.
To ensure the old crowd is unable to enter parliament ever again, anyone who holds political office at the time of the referendum would not be allowed to propose him or herself as a political candidate for, say, the next 150 years or so. That would keep the useless blighters at bay!
The referendum would give the current honorable members one year to clear their desks, and that year would be used to form new political parties.
The members of these parties would have to swear an oath of allegiance to Italy and swear to work for the good of the nation. All of them would be required to declare their assets and incomes and any and all convictions. As Beppe Grillo is proposing, anyone with a criminal conviction should not be allowed to stand for election in Italy. Never, ever. And all candidates, before being elected, would have to declare, publicly, all their connections to business or anyone whatsoever who has any kind of influence. Those who fail to comply should be told to leave politics.
The potential candidates would be subject to a selection process which entails assessing their personal integrity and honesty. Only the most honest would be allowed to stand for election. Those elected would be limited to two terms of office, which, incidentally, is another of Beppe Grillo proposals.
Sorting Out Corruption Once and For All
Finally, corruption. It is a huge problem in Italy and it is killing what really ought to be a flourishing economy. Sorting out this gnarly problem would be easy.
All Italy needs is one set of courts which would be dedicated to hearing corruption cases. There would be one trial and one appeal. If found guilty at the first trial, the offender would be sent to prison to await an appeal, if leave for appeal is granted, and it will not be automatic. And any and every form of corruption in Italy should carry a sentence of a minimum of 10 years, which should be increased to 15 years if public money is involved – no parole and anyone convicted would, upon release, only be allowed to hold a job as a dog excrement collector in the city, town or village in which he or she was born. This would act as a deterrent. Corruption levels would fall overnight!
It’s referendum time for Italy. Let’s see democracy really work. Italy really does deserve much, much better leadership, and it needs this exceptionally urgently.
Stephen says
Alex
Magari.
I imagine the problem is the parliament has to approve the referendum – is there another way? – and it’s not likely those guys would support a proposal that would put them out of business.
I recall in Switzerland a number of petitioners can initiate a referendum. Italy?
Otherwise an excellent idea.
I’m also in favour of a Law Reform Commission to go through everything and repeal all the dodgy stuff that has been passed over the decades. They say there is a law in there somewhere to cover every circumstance imaginable.
Somehow we have to keep Monti and stop the others getting back to the trough. There must be a way.
Alex Roe says
Hi Stephen – I know you know more than a little about politics and you are probably right, even if calling a referendum is a constitutional right here, excuses are found to ensure some do not take place. I feel certain that a proposal to get rid of all the current politicians would be blocked by the very people who need to be pushed out, thereby confirming how important it is to be rid of them.
The situation in Italy for initiating a referendum is similar to that in Switzerland – 500,000 signatures need to be collected. I suspect rather more than 500,000 could be collected!
The Law Reform Commission is an excellent idea and relatively common in slightly more sane nations. Italy badly needs this.
Like you, I think Monti could drag Italy into the 21st century.
All the best,
Alex
Toma says
The problem is that the same people who need to be pushed out are the ones who are supporting everybody around them, and those people are supporting other people, down to a core level. We’re not talking about removing some politicians here, we’re actually talking about a fundamental shift in power in Italian society at every level. The suggestion proposed by Alex is actually one of the only ways I can imagine such a shift happening. The other would be an outright revolution which, as we’ve touched on in the past, is not yet close to happening.
Stephen says
Well, why not set up a Twitter site – Keep Monti for Italy – or something and ask people to Follow if they would support a referendum.
If there were enough followers you could then Tweet them about how and where to actually sign.
It’s one way of testing the idea.
Toma says
Actually you’re on the right track, but Twitter usage in Italy is still not as high as Alex’s miliardi di followers would make it seem. I would therefore suggest a Facebook Page that everybody can ‘Like’. Such an idea could be quite effective.
Cathy says
Alex,
I guess we have to wait and see whether democracy does win in the end, and Italy and its politicians do what is right to help the whole of the country, and not just to the benefit of their own pockets.
Toma says
I was looking for the #satire hashtag. As it’s nowhere to be seen I will have to assume you’re smoking crack in your lunchbreak. I say that not because such a referendum is not the greatest idea I’ve ever heard, just because if we’re going to get into extreme hypotheticals why not propose swapping Italian parliament with an all-star lineup featuring the top politicians from all seven continents. Antonio Ricci could make it into a TV show akin to a game of thrones in which all of the new ministers have to dodge the countless obstacles thrown at them by Berlusconi, the communist coalition, the mafia and extremist judges. For each new minister eliminated they would be immediately replaced by a member of the party responsible for their elimination, until we return to the same ol’ same ol’. Italians would be both entertained and happy to return to their better-the-devil-you-know way of living.
Alex Roe says
I think the time for satire has now passed, Toma.
As for the usual crowd sneaking in through the back door – don’t worry, I’ll help select the new ones.
🙂
Ciao,
Alex