The view of an Italian on the outcome of Italy’s 2013 elections.
As an Italian, I remember some years ago I became quite indignant when, commenting on the 2008 electoral victory of Berlusconi, an Irish friend of mine sharply remarked that “every nation has the government it deserves”. I retorted that I did not deserve a Berlusconi government and neither did the millions of my countrymen who had not cast their votes in his favour.
However, after taking a look at the exit polls of the Italian Elections the other tonight, the words of the French philosopher Joseph de Maistre suddenly gained significance and pierced with brutal veracity the consciences of all those Italians who perceive Mr. Berlusconi as a never-ending national disgrace that undermines their pride of belonging to a land where the unimaginable comes often true and the truth is constantly invented.
The Fall and rise of Mr. Berlusconi
To go through all of what happened in the Italian political arena over the last year and a half means to embark on a mental journey which is destined to cause confusion and vertigo: A prime minister in the midst of a sea of scandals brings the country to the brink of bankruptcy. He is deposed by a President of the Republic who installs an unelected government headed by a professor of economics who has important friends in Brussels and in the financial world.
Technocrat prime minister professor Monti unleashes a series of much needed reforms that mostly boil down to raising taxes and austerity. Reforms which further worsen the economic state of the nation, but which do manage to bring to a halt the growing instability of Italy’s wobbly financial system. After conceding him initial widespread popularity, Italian taxpayers become increasingly unhappy with Monti’s fiscal policy and start listening to the old alternatives.
And there you go! The ground was yet again fertile for Berlusconi’s innate ability to “understand the country’s gut feelings”, as someone wrote, and use the most convincing lie to conquer them. The rest is a déjà vu: pompously implausible promises, such as that of refunding to Italians their payments of a local council property tax (IMU) with his own money. Promises which are too good to be true, but too appealing to fall on deaf ears.
Berlusconi’s result is no less impressive than a victory. This time he knew he could not win, his aim was to make sure the Left coalition could not win either. Relying on the so-called “junk electoral law” – which he carefully devised years ago to exacerbate the Italian left’s eternal fragmentation – and using a penetrating, populist rhetoric, Berlusconi secured himself a seat in the parliament, where he will work hard to polish his image and continue attacking magistrates in an attempt to defend his shaky legal situation.
What the Election results Mean
The final result of the polls show a country split into three chunks with Bersani’s left leaning PD, Berlusconi’s right swinging PDL and Grillo’s Five Star Movement gaining most of the votes.
Monti’s coalition, with a mere 10% share of the vote, ended up with a result which was far below initial expectations. Bersani’s PD obtained a slight majority over the PDL, a fact that leaves it with the difficult task of creating a governing majority that would never be possible with Grillo and will, therefore, unfortunately require an alliance with Berlusconi.
Grillo’s incredible result – his 5 Star Movement earned 25% of the votes – is a the real surprise of this election. Grillo’s support has left-wing Italian commentators and political analysts flabbergasted. The Five Star Movement’s representatives will occupy 54 seats in the Senate. There is no doubt that Grillo’s self-given election campaign tour nickname “Tsunami” was the right one. His party wrought havoc in Italy’s political arena, devastating the traditional balance of party politics and thus ushering in a completely new era in Italian politics.
As stunning as the Five Star Movement’s result is though, one cannot help but remain shocked by the irrational perseverance of millions of Italians in voting for Berlusconi. While it could reasonably be considered a form of pathological masochism, the lasting support for the former premier and his disastrous policies are a sobering reminder that something is very, very wrong at the heart of Italian society.
Some Italian’s Voted for the Man who Destroyed Italy
Those attempting to find a way of justifying such an unfortunate electoral choice would probably come up with the oft used explanation that this moment of deep economic crisis means people are more susceptible to promises, no matter how unrealistic they may seem. However, how would such an analysis explain that the man who right-wing voters chose in such big numbers is precisely the same one who more than any other has contributed to the economic decline of Italy?
Shall we then repeat the boring mantra of the media control which helps Berlusconi to amplify his public visibility and win the audience’s favour? I think not. Rather, I believe we should just cut out the trash and look at the facts:
- Italians lack political culture,
- they have no respect for democratic structures,
- they do not read newspapers,
- they watch uninformative, mainstream, biased news channels,
- they use the internet much less than others in Europe, and certainly not for information, and
- are absolutely mesmerized by trash TV shows.
In other words: a huge number of Italians suffer from a form of “acute cultural amnesia” which Italy’s politicians are fully aware of and successfully exploit to their advantage.
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By Stefano Salustri
Stefano is from L’Aquila, Italy but has worked and studied for years in different European countries before temporarily returning to his hometown.
After earning an M.A. from the University of Bath in 2011, he currently collaborates with various magazines and writes on international politics and energy issues.
He joined Italy Chronicles in December 2012 and contributes pieces on Italian news, politics and food.
P. Gallagher says
Great article Stefano. There is no way round this. There is something very wrong with a country that votes for Berlusconi time and time again. I say country – not people. The whole system in Italy has gradually gone crazy over the years. Whether people voted for him or not is hardly the point. In what other western democracy can a man with a virtual strangle hold on the nation’s media be allowed to stand for election? Is that not already a conflict of interest? And this is not taking into account his continuous problems with magistrates and the courts. It’s mind numbing that a guy like that is even allowed to campaign! These are the hard facts of what is wrong with Italy – not the people – the majority did not vote for him. If someone campaigned within the UK on a manifesto of refunding rates and taxes, I have no doubt he would swiftly become prime minister.
Italians need to take a long hard look at what has been going on in their country. Corruption is endemic. The bureaucracy is now simply out of this world. Any simple formality becomes a drudgery. The television, as you say, is beyond junk. Nobody could watch this. Real information is actually hard to obtain – even on the internet. The independent media is restricted by calumnia laws. People are being fined enormous sums by councils for the slightest oversight – and with no system of redress. The justice system does just not work for ordinary people. For some reason, people just put up with it all, that’s what really amazes me. When you spend a lot of time in Italy, as I do, you have to blank your mind to these facets. The country is so beautiful that it’s not that hard. Young people, like you Stefano, have to get stuck into this and sort it out.
Stefano Salustri says
Hi there,
thanks a lot for taking the time to write your detailed and interesting comment. Now, I do admit anger has partly influenced my word choice but the fact that Italians do not use the internet as much as other europeans is a matter of fact and there is a lot of statistical evidence in that direction.
Another important point is that Italy has a very old population. That makes voters less prone to change their ideological views. It is notorious that old people…or let’s say “people who are not in their heydays any longer” have difficulties to question their convictions. This is something not to underestimate, as I am fully convinced that many of that 30% of people who voted for Berlusconi still think the Mussolini was the best thing that ever happened to Italy.
Even more unfortunate is the fact that many of that 30% is made up of young people who believe that reading newspapers and have an opinion is a waste of time. But they do watch those brain-shrinking programs aired on Berlusconi’s and other TV channels. That is why they often fall victim of the infamously biased Italian media and their fabricated stories.
As far as your comparison of Berlusconi and Grillo is concerned, I do not agree at all. I do not see Grillo’s movement as a negative phenomenon and I think people should wait and see what he “does” and not what he “says” before judging. Were we to judge politicians merely for what they say, they would all be brilliant…wouldn’t they?
electoraldisaster says
Hi Stefano, as I said I disagree in part with your conclusion not with all of them. Yes internet is less used in Italy but Stefano the incredible success of the 5 Stars shows that this tendency is changing at least in the younger generations.
I agree with your demographic and surely this influence the results but I am not sure that many of that 30% is young people I think his votes come from the old people at least in these elections were the young people have voted for the 5 Stars.
Please reread my comparison between Grillo and Berlusconi, I am not saying they are the same, I am saying that on a specific and in my opinion crucial point of these elections (the austerity policies and the Euro skepticism of the Italians) they had very similar position, I am sorry Stefano but I am speaking about their programs and things they have publicly stated and promised to the voters. I am not saying that Grillo is as Berlusconi, despite not being a supporter of the 5 Stars I do believe they are in good faith, I do believe there are interesting proposals in their program (can they be done is another discussion) and I absolutely believe they have nothing to do with the kind of Berlusconi…but at the same time on certain things they have taken a similar position.
Austerity policies and the Euro zone were one of the key aspects of the elections (if not the main aspect) and Stefano you can not say that the 5 Stars have in any kind supported austerity ideas and have proposed themselves as pro-Euro.
We then can add many aspects to the analysis of the elections, I find extremely interesting how different the vote from us Italians leaving abroad is from the one of the Italians leaving in Italy, the AIRE voters have in fact voted in almost an opposite directions: PDL at 14-15% (not nice but we could have survived with that, it could have been seen as the first step towards the end for them), 5 Stars at 10% (my hoest opinion perfect to allow them to do a good opposition), PD similar at his 29-30 and Monti doubled the results of “real” Italy with 18-19% of the Aire votes. And I do believe that Aire voters specially the one in countries as Germany, Belgium, England (where PD and Monti have won a larger percentage of votes ) understood better the necessity for Italy of certain measures to save the country.
We can add the usual arrogance of the top heads of the PD party that since 1994 refuse to accept that Berlusconi can not be beaten by just offending him, the believe that he was done and dusted (well in fairness we all thought that…), refuse to comes to terms with a great part of north Italy that is not voting for them and is refusing to analyze seriously why (a problem going on for the last 20-25 years), the arrogance of PD in underestimate Grillo and the 5 Stars that in fact took loads of their votes, the treating Grillo just as a comedian who doesn’t deserves their time has been a massive mistake…I don’t vote for them but they certainly have several interesting ideas of which many are close to the left wing ideology, at the end of the day Grillo tried to run 5 years ago for the primaries of the PD…they could have worked something with him to dismantle Berlusconi but instead they went to war against him and he destroyed them in the last 5-6 weeks with the Monte dei Paschi and other scandals…here a little point, I do think that Grillo made one mistake as the PD: as them he thought Berlusconi was politically dead and concentrate his campaign more on the PD and Monti than on the PDL…I am sure he was as shocked as everybody to see Berlusconi so high on votes as he was shocked to see Monti so low.
Monti mistakes…well first of all going in bed with two dead horses as Fini and Casini and second the all communication…but he never had the chance of a public debate on economy that he would have won (and would have destroyed Berlusconi)…and I add personally one big mistake…the strong position he took against gay marriage…this costed him loads of votes from the secular people, he should have been more cautious on that.
Stefano S. says
Hi there,
Just so we are clear: I live abroad too and didn’t vote because I couldnt. I am not defending any party in particular, just trying to look at the facts objectively.
I never said Grillo supported austerity measures and is pro-EU…but doesn’t have to be a must, or does it? You speak about Mario Monti and his austerity measures as if they were a panacea for Italy’s problems and the only way out of the crisis, while evidence tells a very different story. His debacle clearly shows that people want more “good” politics and less “economics gurus” to look after their country.
I genuinely feel sorry for Monti because I think he could have done much better if he had come at an easier moment in Italian politics, but I lost any respect for him when he entered a coalition with Casini, the most hypocritical of Italian politicians. In doing so, Monti became a member of the ” casta”, an incredible electoral suicide!
The argument of Grillo not having a political program is just a false, media-sponsored mantra. Many of the ideas his Movement has outlined on their program have been “recycled” by mainstream parties over the last year.
I entirely share your view about the PD. However, had Renzi been the candidate, I suspect the electoral outcome would have been a very different one. On one hand, Berlusconi would not have dared coming back and compete against a guy way better looking than him and with a virgin political reputation. He would have candidated Alfano, whose lack of carisma and brains would have probably resulted in more votes for Monti and less for PDL. On the other hand, a stronger PD would have stolen a lot of votes from Grillo and maybe gained the majority. Lost chance? Maybe, but of one thing we can be sure: with 58 Grillini in the Parliament, I believe the interests of “common Italians” are much more represented than they have ever been over the last couple of decades.
electoraldisaster says
I do think that Monti’s way in a government with PD so with more equal and balanced reform was the only way and I am sorry can you tell me the evidences that tell a different story?Evidence says that if Monti would have not stepped in Italy would have probably already defaulted, that the international markets would have killed Italy. I actually haven’t voted for him anyway I voted PD to be clear because I was thinking Monti would have anyway had is 14% and wanted a strong PD to have equality and balance in certain reforms.
On going with Casini I can’t agree more and I wrote it…if you haven’t understood I have strong secular believes and vision of the State so you can just imagine how much I can like somebody like Casini…I add more Fini and Casini with ther vision of the ethical State pusched away from Monti a lot of people that might have voted for him.
Sorry again but I think you are having problem reading or interpreting wrong what I wrote…where did I wrote that Grill and 5 Stars had no program?I actually wrote the opposite I wrote that there are many good ideas in their program in my last post…we can discuss the feasibility of certain interesting ideas but the 5 Stars movement program has good ideas I never denied it, I actually wrote yesterday the opposite. So I don’t know where would be my argument of Grillo not having a program since I never wrote that.
On Renzi…I do agree with you but at the end of the day the PD people (or the one who voted in the primaries) voted Bersani in the primaries.
On the 5 Stars let us wait what they will do, I am quite curious, as said they have good ideas (not all of them) and they do certain look to represent the interest of the people, and beside in my opinion the mistake of considering Berlusconi dead and buried (mistake that al of us did to be fair to them) let see now that they got there how they go…certainly I do believe that with the 25% they had to take matters in their hands and not just thinking to work in opposition voting on the basis of the law…this was their idea before election a good idea in my opinion but they probably were expectin as everybody different results, with these results if thy really want to politically kill Berlusconi and remove him from the Italian political scenario they have to work with PD as a government for a bit: conflict of interests, new electoral law are the main think, they should just go with PD do this and then if they feel they can go out and bring new elections….I certainly don’t like how they are beginning wanting a governissimo PD-PDL to celebrate the death of Bersani and PD.
electoraldisaster says
Hi Stefano, interesting piece but I disagree in part with your conclusions on the Italian people, conclusion that I think are due to anger more than anything else.
I do agree that information in Italy is biased and I do agree that certainly has huge effects but I am sorry Stefano, the great result that the 5 Stars Movement achieved (and I want to clarify that I am not at all their supporter) shows clearly that Italians do search information in alternative ways and do use the internet to search information…denying that means not recognize the origins of the 5 Stars Movement and one of the reason of their success…if it was for traditional media Grillo and his movement would have died years ago.
Having said that and after having spend the last two days trying to understand how such a disaster happened I think that it is important to analyze one of the main aspect of this campaign that the results shows: the Italians had in fact rejected the idea of austerity policies, Monti and PD is no secret that were expecting to form a coalition to run the country and continue in a more balanced way the job that Monti started last year.
On the other hand both Berlusconi and the 5 Stars Movement have made crucial in their campaign the rejection of austerity measures (they actually made crazy promises to the people, both of them) and have been really smart in making leverage on the current strong anti-Euro feelings of the Italians…Berlusconi have repeatedly said that the spread is “an invention of the last two years” and said in several occasions how he would not follow the direction that come from Berlin and Grillo have repeatedly attacked Monti and his policies and pictured him as “Merkel’s servant” and promised a referendum to get Italy out of the Euro zone.
There are also in my opinion more reasons for the disastrous elections of Italy but I do think that the main thing that made basically 55% of the Italian people chose Berlusconi and Grillo is the refusal to accept the reforms and austerity policies that PD and Monti would have implemented…and that that are in many cases necessary.
Stefano S. says
Hey Frankcanada,
if you read the article carefully, you will notice that I attacked the part of Italy that voted for Berlusconi again. I criticize them especially because they think Berlusconi is right-wing…he’s not, he’s just a callous plutocrat whose only interest is to keep his a.. safe from legal prosecution, regardless of how the country is doing. I won’t agree with the argument that Italy is the greatest country in the world, I am afraid yours is only nostalgia for a place you obviously associate with parental and family roots. It is easy to call Italy the best country in the world, when you live and work in wealthy Canada, man. By the way, I am from Abruzzo and know Casalbordino well. It is indeed a great place, but if you were born and bred there you would probably share my opinions by now….
FrankCanada says
Italians lack political culture? Italians lack culture? My parents come from Casalbordino, and what I would give to get out of left wing pinko Toronto, & go back home. Democracy is dead outside of Italy. Majority against gay marriage? To bad. Majority against abortion? To bad. The left attacks the church & blue collar,the same way the Nazi’s attacked the Jews. Left are Neo-Liberal Nazi’s. German types or english or what ever over here are usually drunk, and are horrible employees, never pay their rent on time, and live in general squaler, as Italian Canadians look on in disgust. Italy is the greatest country in the world, just open your eyes and look around you. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and get to work!
Toma says
A well wriitten and very accurate piece. Better still that it comes from an Italian.
Your bullet points are spot-on.