1) I agree with you that Left and Right are outdated categories. The fact that still many people describe themselves like that is a synthom for a serious lack of original and new ideas in our society - without which we can't really flourish. This is particularly true for young leftists: coming from the wokest city in Italy, I know so many whose "Left" is truer than the other many "Lefts". Unfortuntely, this also speaks volumes about the level and poor quality of public education in the last 30 years at least: young people can't think out of the box.
2) Italy is not a sovereign country: there are way too many foreign interferences. Meloni's pivot about NATO and the Ukranian conflict as it became clear she would win this election cannot be authentic. This sort of "changes in mind" is exactly what has made people become very skeptical of today's politics and it is hardly something which can be reversed. Demonizing her in the media is also part of the strategy to help her win the support of those highly dissatisfied citizens, but who will still have the hope of her being "the one who will make change happen". I am sure she has her own vision for the country (unlike the many Salvinis and DiMaios) but in the end she has way less power and freedom that people believe.
3) "Another point of Ms. Meloni’s programme involves encouraging “virtuous behaviours” from the consuming public, designed to ingrain an environmentalist ethos and generate savings on energy". Sound like Italy is going to get another trial of social credit systems soon, again for the sake of the "greater good"! This is the point on which I disagree about with you, that is libertarian ideas are archaic: they are more relavant than ever and the last two years make the case for that. Unfortunately, people have bought too much in the idea that the State has to do and provide everything for them, as if they were small children forever - and the State and the elites take advantage of that.
4) I appreciate Meloni's attempt to give support to family, but it's going to be hard in many aspects. Young people nowadays do not have children mostly for cultural reasons, not only for financial ones ("Having a child will kill the planet", "Children and family deprive you of your freedom" as examples often targeting women) . And it's a bit everywhere like that: Germany has great motherhood and childcare laws, but its birth rates are comparable to Italy's.
This is great context, much appreciated. What does she have to say about the current energy crisis and inflation? What about the pending deep recession in Europe? How much of a role did that play in the Italian election?
Her stimulus package may (will?) send Italian bond prices (and potentially EU everything) into a spiral. Will be interesting to see how an economy that barely grows sustains materially higher borrowing costs and convinces the EU/ECB to defend its credit spreads, in the name of pre-modern art and stimulus checks for divorced couples.
Point is: the macro backdrop, and her degree of diplomacy, will likely determine how much of her agenda she successfully implements.
Excellent piece, very informational. I appreciate your label, “Anglo-Saxon cousins”, juxtaposed with continental Europeans. Frankly, I hope Meloni goes hard with family-first nationalism now that she is in charge; the self-loathing, selfish, far-left extremists have gone unapologetically hard for decades. Nationalism certainly includes care for the environment and we all must get away from post-WWII, strictly economic, modern-Anglo-Saxon policies; there's a lot of sense in protecting & preserving your country's natural environment for the benefit of your nation's families.
As a fellow Italian, there's much to say.
1) I agree with you that Left and Right are outdated categories. The fact that still many people describe themselves like that is a synthom for a serious lack of original and new ideas in our society - without which we can't really flourish. This is particularly true for young leftists: coming from the wokest city in Italy, I know so many whose "Left" is truer than the other many "Lefts". Unfortuntely, this also speaks volumes about the level and poor quality of public education in the last 30 years at least: young people can't think out of the box.
2) Italy is not a sovereign country: there are way too many foreign interferences. Meloni's pivot about NATO and the Ukranian conflict as it became clear she would win this election cannot be authentic. This sort of "changes in mind" is exactly what has made people become very skeptical of today's politics and it is hardly something which can be reversed. Demonizing her in the media is also part of the strategy to help her win the support of those highly dissatisfied citizens, but who will still have the hope of her being "the one who will make change happen". I am sure she has her own vision for the country (unlike the many Salvinis and DiMaios) but in the end she has way less power and freedom that people believe.
3) "Another point of Ms. Meloni’s programme involves encouraging “virtuous behaviours” from the consuming public, designed to ingrain an environmentalist ethos and generate savings on energy". Sound like Italy is going to get another trial of social credit systems soon, again for the sake of the "greater good"! This is the point on which I disagree about with you, that is libertarian ideas are archaic: they are more relavant than ever and the last two years make the case for that. Unfortunately, people have bought too much in the idea that the State has to do and provide everything for them, as if they were small children forever - and the State and the elites take advantage of that.
4) I appreciate Meloni's attempt to give support to family, but it's going to be hard in many aspects. Young people nowadays do not have children mostly for cultural reasons, not only for financial ones ("Having a child will kill the planet", "Children and family deprive you of your freedom" as examples often targeting women) . And it's a bit everywhere like that: Germany has great motherhood and childcare laws, but its birth rates are comparable to Italy's.
Let's see!
This is great context, much appreciated. What does she have to say about the current energy crisis and inflation? What about the pending deep recession in Europe? How much of a role did that play in the Italian election?
Her stimulus package may (will?) send Italian bond prices (and potentially EU everything) into a spiral. Will be interesting to see how an economy that barely grows sustains materially higher borrowing costs and convinces the EU/ECB to defend its credit spreads, in the name of pre-modern art and stimulus checks for divorced couples.
Point is: the macro backdrop, and her degree of diplomacy, will likely determine how much of her agenda she successfully implements.
Incisive essay. Bravo.
Well done. Informative and very insightful. Please share and circulate. All eyes are on Meloni.
Excellent piece, very informational. I appreciate your label, “Anglo-Saxon cousins”, juxtaposed with continental Europeans. Frankly, I hope Meloni goes hard with family-first nationalism now that she is in charge; the self-loathing, selfish, far-left extremists have gone unapologetically hard for decades. Nationalism certainly includes care for the environment and we all must get away from post-WWII, strictly economic, modern-Anglo-Saxon policies; there's a lot of sense in protecting & preserving your country's natural environment for the benefit of your nation's families.
First rate commentary! Insightful and well done. Now we wait to see if Meloni can reach her goals.