Grillo’s proposals to Draghi? Very modest
What Beppe Grillo suggested from his blog to the Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Gianfranco Polillo's comment
It is a tame cricket that Mario Draghi met . Putting aside the theory of the vaffa, he too at Canossa, after having been forced to recognize how not only utopian, but harmful, his original theories were. The same ones that Alessandro Di Battista, the neo-Japanese of the Second World War, still declines with fury. Recalling the past choices of the former director general of the Treasury: "Privatizations, sale of Italian public industrial assets, derivative contracts". And "as Governor of the Bank of Italy when he gave the Ok to the purchase of Antonveneta by Mps at an insane market value".
Everything useless. The 5-star conversion process has been torturous, but it now seems over. Along the way, perhaps, they will lose a few pieces, as had already happened in the past. But it is difficult to go back to basics. Especially after having practiced the way of government and having been able to taste the scent of power. Many of them, especially those who are not re-elected – nearly two-thirds, according to polling projections – will bite their hands. By giving in to the impulses of the moment, they had endorsed the imprudent choice of a sharp reduction in the number of parliamentarians. A sort of collective suicide, pure self-hatred, considering the absence of any other reform capable of ensuring greater efficiency of the parliamentary machine.
In the wake of these failures – what is the legacy of Count one and Count two? – Beppe Grillo himself seems to have lost all imaginative capacity. The contribution offered by the pages of his blog is modest, if placed in relation to the dramatic situation in the country, with respect to which the responsibilities of the Movement, beyond the pandemic, are evident. The problem is always the same: the environment. The novelty: the privilege to be granted to non-profit companies. Minor variant of the old conception, according to which profit is nothing but the devil's dung.
In detail. The main proposal is the creation of a Ministry for Ecological Transition, which incorporates the current Ministries of the Environment and Economic Development. Following the example of what has been done in France and Spain. The management of the energy policy should then be attributed to the newborn Ministry. The latter, in any case, even under current legislation, should be attributed to the Ministry of the Environment. And characterized by a reduction in environmentally harmful subsidies, for at least 20 billion.
It should therefore lead to the creation of a Higher Council for sustainable development – a sort of CNEL, if we understand correctly – "with a few members, in an odd number between 5 and 9, composed of personalities of the highest scientific profile, appointed by the President of the Republic for a long term (5-10 years). A kind of 'Supreme Court for Sustainable Development'. With consultative value, but with great authority and intense public communication ".
The second pillar of the proposals is all focused on the need to reduce the tax burden only on benefit companies. With the aim of extending its perimeter, favoring the transformation of those who already operate on the market. Grillo mentions, in this regard, Eni, Enel and Barilla. Remembering that "Danone is a 'benefit company'". Ergo: we push the others, with the fiscal nibble, to become such.
As you can see, we are not exactly in the field of "imagination in power": the old slogan of the '68s. It is only necessary to underline, before going into more detail, their eccentricity with respect to the real urgencies of the country. Which have been repeatedly confirmed: vaccination plan, social imbalances (especially in view of the end of the redundancy block), acceleration of the pace of development. Does all this mean, perhaps, underestimating the need for the Green Deal, which has been repeatedly urged by the European Commission?
There are two concerns. The first is, so to speak, factual. In the European comparison, Italy can boast a not despicable position. In the strategic sectors of reducing emissions or renewable energy, progress has not only been consistent, but generally higher than that of the other European partners. Of course, much remains to be done, in view of future deadlines, but these do not seem to be the sectors in which Italy is suffering most. The gap in terms of employment, training, innovation and so on is much wider. If there is a need to intervene – which is undoubted – perhaps there are other priority sectors.
But on a basic element it is necessary to understand each other. The term "sustainable development" cannot become a slogan. Or, worse, the cross road to re-propose the theme of "happy degrowth". The by-product of this pandemic, which has contributed greatly to improving the conditions of the planet. Misunderstanding that remains in the vision of the 5 stars. Not only from a grammatical and semiotic point, but substantially, of the two terms the first is the dominant one. If there is development, this can be qualified from the point of view of sustainability. But if the first fails, as has happened in Italy, from immemorial temples, the second can only decline. And throw the life of the entire country into an abyss.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/proposte-grillo-draghi/ on Sun, 07 Feb 2021 07:27:02 +0000.