321. With Mario Monti Italy has never had it so good.

Attribution: Presidenza della Repubblica

Last night I had a dream, a nightmare I suppose.  I dreamt that the euro had disintegrated, that there were no more wages, no more pensions, no more money in the bank and consequently no more food in the shops, no more electricity, gas, petrol, no more health benefits- I had nothing except the piece of land around my house and a few seeds in the shed.  I woke up, thankful it was only a bad dream, but nevertheless on guard because this could well and truly happen- namely the collapse of the euro.

Italy has always been  a nation divided.  It isn’t a question of left or right, politics or church, it could be anything from beauty contests to football teams… no matter what it is, Italians will always find ways of being divided with this and that.

Berlusconi is not the stupid man half of Italy believes him to be, yes, only half because the other half voted him.  Someone stupid would not have resigned when he knew his time as Prime Minister had its days numbered.  Someone stupid would not have given his full backing to another Prime Minister and continue giving that backing.  Someone stupid would have tried to divide Italy not unite it.  Someone stupid would not stand back and let someone with more experience and aptitude do the job.  Berlusconi may know how to make money, being one of the richest men in the world, but money when it comes to being the leader of a country, obviously, is not everything.

Mario Monti, is the man of the moment.  The tightening of the purse strings in Italy, not enough on the rich as on the middle classes,  has probably made him almost as much despised by Italians, as Berlusconi.  Because of that Italians may well have a legitimate claim for doing so but what half of the Italians do not appreciate is that with Mario Monti Italy has never had it so good.

Mario Monti has become, as claimed by world press, a key figure in negotiations of saving the euro currency and with it the unity of Europe.  His solid background in European affairs cannot be contested.  If anyone can mediate between the quarreling European nations, it is Mario Monti.  And Italians really need to stop complaining about the man, if Italy is in safe hands with Mario Monti- so will Europe be.