238. Finiani- First Republic Games
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| Credits: Wikipedia |
For my non-Italian friends and readers, the term “First Republic” refers to that political period which begins with the founding of the Republic of Italy in 1946 and to the non- interrupted government by the Democrazia Cristiana Party (often in a coalition with a minor party) to 1994 when the results of the “Tangentopoli”(bribes) scandal begun in 1992 dissolved the Democrazia Cristiana, and a non-political “people” coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi won the elections.
What characterized the longevity of this uninterrupted rule by the Democrazia Cristiana was the fact it always gained the relative majority of votes, thus with the aid of another minor party managed to remain in power for almost half a century. Another characteristic of this period was that the Prime Minister, (who as we all remember repeatedly saw the figure of Giulio Andreotti as head of government), but the Prime Minister at times alternated with the leader of the minor party, often being the Italian Socialist Party, which led the way to the rise of Bettino Craxi who eventually, exiled to Tunisia paid the price for all. It needs to be noted also that because of perennial disagreements within coalitions, general elections were on average every two instead of five years.
However, Berlusconi’s coalition in 1994 also survived only a brief two years when the Leader of the Lega Nord, Umberto Bossi defected and abandoned the government. The President of Italy at the time, Luigi Scalfaro, instead of calling a general election opted for a left-wing coalition led by Lamberto Dini, who had been a once Minister of Finance in the Berlusconi government. A rather strange how-do-you-do- since the people voted a right wing government in 1994 and got a left wing government in 1996. This manoeuvre became known as the “Ribaltone” or the big overturn or capsizing.
After such an experience the election laws were eventually changed forcing those standing for elections to form coalitions before and not after the elections as they did before 1994 and as occurred in the recent elections in the UK. Hence people now could choose an individual party within a coalition list. This meant that if you chose a right wing coalition you would not end up with a left wing coalition ever again... that is until now and the Finianis (Followers of Fini who have formed their own party) who have more or less done the same thing that Bossi and the Lega Nord did in 1994 when they abandoned the government.
Hence in my book, betrayal of the coalition government in which they were voted, the Finianis are betraying the trust of the people who voted for them. This is their ploy to take away power from the people and put it back into parliament where coalitions are not voted by the people but are made and broken according to the whims of the air that breathes around the corridors of Montecitorio. This kind of manoeuvre is also egged on by the left wing who have a President of Italy in great empathy with their “sufferings” (that of having to put with Berlusconi as Leader of their “opposition” and hence never being able to win an election) thus see the bright light of a “Ribaltone” (the big overturn) as being the only hope of dabbling at being in power- and don’t we remember last time they were in power? Their 22 months majority of 1 provoked a complete stand still in the country. Even with Fini as head of the left wing, there is nothing, no plans, no aptitude, no agreement among themselves that can permit the least amount of hope that they will do any better this time round.
We voted a good strong government in power, those reckless agitators had to spoilt it all and send us in the mire... as if we haven’t got enough problems to deal with! Alessandra Mussolini was right when she said, a Parliamentarian’s wage should be slashed in half... they earn three times that of a British M.P. and don’t do half as much, just create spokes in the wheels of those who are actually working for the country, here are some - Gasparri, La Russa, Bondi, Sacconi, Maroni, Letta, Frattini, Alfano, Tremonti, Gelmini... and last but not least, Berlusconi...
Let them get on... we voted them for five years not two, and if the Finiani don’t like it, it should be their Leader to resign as Chairman of the First House, since he is seeking to dissolve the government. Yet, he is so impudently demanding by forcing the vote of “La Fiducia”(No-Confidence vote) that the government resign. This is what the vote which is to take place in Parliament on 14 December is all about... in other words bringing us back to First Republic Days.
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