The View from Bologna

To place things in context, Romano Prodi, outgoing President of the European Commission, and leading light of the left, will return to Italy in the coming weeks to convene a meeting of left wing leaders under the Ulivo coalition label, in order to decide on a broad platform to fight the elections. He is almost certainly going to be the leader of the coalition, and so the question is how can he avoid becoming an Italian John Kerry?

On the one hand there are the voices of D'Alema and Francesco Rutelli, leader of the Margherita party, who have their sights firmly on the centre ground. Rutelli has talked about five million undecided voters "that are fundamental to win". And that means moderation.

On the other hand, there are thinkers on the left who think very differently to D'Alema and Rutelli. Fausto Bertinotti, for example, leader of Rifondazione Comunista, who said of the American election "Maybe there is a lesson for the European left. The argument that victory would depend upon who won the centre proved itself to be completely abstract and far from the real issue [...] Perhaps the Democrats started to lose when they abbandoned Howard Dean and the spirit driving him"[4]. Bertinotti is the right's favourite bogeyman, and is used by Berlusconi as a synonym for extremism, but, and this is a big but, he's eloquent and close to the grass roots on the left.

It's not just Kerry's defeat that has the left wing squabbling over tactics. There's the legacy of Italian post-war politics, where with a diabolical genius the Democristiani managed to forge repeated coalition governments, always based around the idea of compromise and moderation. There's ample evidence though that this model of politics is dead and buried, along with the party that created it. Philosopher Massimo Cacciari put it succinctly this week when he said "today there's a total radicalisation because the old postwar equilibriums no longer exist. Now everyone is in search for new orientations. Today, there's a need to tell the people where you're going". Cacciari, who is linked with Rutelli's Margherita party takes a different view from the party leader, and it's a view partly prompted by the right. Talking of right wing journalist Giuliano Ferrara, he said: "he's guiding the rediscovery of the 'core values' of Buttiglione. We need to pay attention because they [the right] are saying that politics has changed". According to Cacciari, the political context has changed, and it's no longer good enough for the left to claim the centre and impress with its administrative skills - now is the time for radical ideas. The fact that Berlusconi's administration is the longest serving in Italian history suggests that Cacciari's analysis is on the money.

The post fascist Alleanza Nazionale, took one of the most obvious lessons from Bush's victory. "Above all, Bush's victory was the victory of clarity, of the strong defense of all the values which Americans see in themselves, with the will to put them forward without discussion or uncertainty"[5]. We can but presume that the Italian right will hope to fight an election campaign in the same manner, playing on security, strength and 'traditional values'.

Clarity, vision and, above all, unity are things that are sadly lacking in the Italian left at this stage. With a faltering economy, Italian participation in Iraq, and a string of frankly scandalous legislative measures undertaken, it seems virtually unimaginable that Berlusconi could win the next election. Unimaginable that is until you realise that there is still no concrete position amongst the opposition on Iraq, on controversial legislation such as that restricting assisted procreation, or crucially how to go about the election campaigning - or with whom.

It's rare that this Monkey will say it, but it seems that this time Mr Berlusconi is right - there are lessons to be learned from the American Election, and the sooner the Italian left realise that the better.

[1] "Dovrebbe imparare molto da queste elezione...Devono capire che non si guadagna consenso demonizzando gli altri come stampa e media hanno fatto nei confronti di Bush" La Repubblica Friday November 5th
[2] "Anche in Italia si è detto che ha vinto Berlusconi perché noi non siamo stati abbastanza anti-Berlusconiani. Una palese sciocchezza" L'Espresso #45
[3] "Mi dispiace molto, ma con questo tipo di dirigenti noi non vinceremo mai" - In Piazza con Nanni
[4]"Oggi c’è una totale radicalizzazione perché gli equilibri postbellici non ci sono più. Ora tutti sono in cerca di nuovi orientamenti. Oggi bisogna dire alla gente dove si va...
Parlo di Giuliano Ferrara che sta pilotando la riscoperta dei “valori profondi” di Buttiglione. Stiamo attenti perchè questi stanno dicendo che la politica è cambiata" - Professor Massimo Cacciari - L'Ulivo
[4]"Forse i democratici hanno cominciato a perdere quando hanno abbandonato Howard Dean e l’ispirazione che animava. Il voto contro non è sufficiente.
Forse c’è una lezione anche per le sinistre europee. La disputa sulla vittoria che si conquisterebbe al centro si rivela del tutto astratta e lontana dai problemi" - Fausto Bertinotti - Rifondazione Comunista
[5]"Soprattutto la vittoria di Bush è stata la vittoria della chiarezza, della difesa strenua di alcuni valori in cui gli americani si ritrovano, della volontà di imporsi senza discussioni o incertezze"
- Marco Zacchera Alleanza Nazionale