Minister Orlando is unnecessarily furious
Because the political theses of the Minister of Labor, Andrea Orlando (Pd), do not convince the editorialist Gianfranco Polillo
On the one hand there are those who wave flags, such as the League. On the other hand, the proposals – those of the Democratic Party – of "equity between classes and generations". In short, on one front, it is the irresponsible who only aim to deconstruct. On the other side of the mountain, however, the nobles of spirit who think of the good of others. Positions, as we can see, are hardly reconcilable. To the point that it will be difficult for the Prime Minister himself, Mario Draghi, to be able to continue pulling the strings.
The interview of the Minister of Labor, Andrea Orlando (Pd), to Corriere della Sera , from which these glimpses were drawn, is not easy to interpret. Logic would suggest that it heralds the end of a truce. “As long as the pandemic was in an acute phase – continues the minister – all or almost all converged on the need for vaccination. Now we see that there is still a right and a left ”. Ergo ?, one might say. “There is a need – this is the minister's conclusion – for a high level of mediation, even more than before”. Translated: it is necessary to shift the axis of the Government towards the positions of the Democratic Party.
Why the other political forces should be there, Orlando does not say. Above all, he does not explain it. But for those who know his cultural background, finding an answer is not difficult. Despite the defeats suffered, the Democratic Party is still convinced that he is the only one capable of interpreting the profound meaning of history. And consequently those who do not agree are only an obstacle on the way to Progress. Where the capital P is not a typo. And then you want to give explanations. To break your head on the numbers, which deny the fallacious certainties of their present. In the end, when everything ends with a little big collapse, as happened in 1989, there is always the resource of justificationism, in the canonical forms of historicism of Marxist derivation.
From this point of view the country has already given. From 2011 onwards, it was ruled by leftist formations. And it certainly cannot be said that the results have been brilliant. A simple comparison with what happened in the rest of Europe is enough. A series of negative records: starting from that skimpy growth rate – Italy always in last place – which is the mother of all other social defeats. Of course, compared to other countries, such as Spain, the level of unemployment is lower. A few points less. But the Spaniards, unlike the Italians, are not the third net exporter of the Eurozone: after Germany and Holland.
They do not have that excess of savings, compared to investments, which, not finding an outlet internally, is graciously made available to abroad. So we are witnessing the paradox of scarcity in abundance. To the behavior of a country capable of exporting men, goods and capital at the same time: the last cry of alarm from the Court of Auditors. While most of its people are forced to live below their real potential. Only to be forced to pay that alms of the state, destined to prove insufficient, despite the generosity of a welfare that is unmatched, not only with the rest of Europe.
If this is the true reality, then more than "a high mediation", as Orlando says, it is necessary a political guide capable of taking the bull by the horns. Not only to identify the necessary strategy, but then to make it live in a difficult context such as that of Europe and the G20. In an environment where each actor has his own tough stuff and is unwilling to take on the problems of others. Unless you have the ability to identify an unassailable synthesis. A bit like what happened with “whatever it takes”.
Is there anyone around who can do it? Maybe Giuseppe Conte? Certainly, if it depended on Marco Travaglio. But that's not a guarantee. Enrico Letta himself, don't want to, he had the opportunities. But if Italy is what it is today, we certainly cannot speak of a resounding success. And then, despite the imminence of the next administrative elections, let's forget the "right" and the "left". Italy is still in the middle of that ford that Giorgio Napolitano was talking about, since the end of the 1970s. And dealing with it will be far from easy.
Perhaps the pandemic has been defeated. But it is not yet said. However, an economic and social fabric remains to be reconstructed, which has undergone profound lacerations. And it will never be the same again. Because, in the meantime, many things have changed and will change again. And then it will not be enough to resort to old recipes, with all the Byzantines of the past. In this field too, "unconventional policies" will be needed, capable of beating old and obsolete orthodoxies. In the labyrinth of Italian politics, many are looking for that Ariadne's thread. We will go back to talking about "right" and "left" when they have finally grasped it. In the meantime, don't forget the Titanic tragedy.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/il-ministro-orlando-e-inutilmente-furioso/ on Wed, 26 May 2021 13:18:25 +0000.