264. Milan: The Change-over

Milan Montage
credits: Wikipedia

And now that Milan has made the change-over from right to left, as the Italian comedian Roberto Begnini  said,  “Let the party begin!”

Certainly there will be no Magistrate from the Milanese “Procura” who will send the new Mayor Giuliano Pisapia a subpoena  for living it up– that privilege is reserved only for “The One”  Silvio Berlusconi, who else?

Maybe now that the right wing candidate has lost the elections by 5 points, they will ease off trying to “get Berlusconi behind bars,” the translation of which in modern English is “get Berlusconi out of power,”  though it seems unlikely as Berlusconi is still head of the present government.

The losing candidate, Letizia Moratti openly admitted her defeat and readily sent her congratulation to the winner with an offer of cooperation, a gesture which left-wing candidates have seldom if ever done.  By tradition the left-wing candidates in Italy never admit to defeat, let alone congratulate their opponent and still less offer to cooperate; my memory has no recollection of this ever happening... insults yes, storming of hell, brimstone and fire, this is what I recall left-wing candidates have done whenever they lose an election.  So, Letizia Moratti’s gesture is much appreciated by the undersigned.

Half of Milan’s voters abstained from voting, and of course those are the ones who had been left disenchanted by local politics. However, the change-over has been made and everyone needs well try to make the best of it especially since Milan will house the EXPO in 2015. 

Yet, something worries me, how long will all this last before they start losing the pieces?  Let’s hope this time, having learnt from the abortive lessons of the past, the left-wing will make a special effort not to pick a fight, quite so soon.