When politics is thrashed in the Italian media, the Italians usually don’t care. They often think the same way: railing against politics and its institutions is part of the ritual between Bolzano and Palermo. What the Italians are not indifferent to: What foreign media write about them. It was like that when he was mirror in the summer of 1977 garnished a plate of spaghetti with a pistol, put it on the cover and headlined: “Italy as a holiday destination”. The shock was deep, older Italians still remember the mafia story from Hamburg with shudder. And than the British Economist 20 years ago Silvio Berlusconi made the cover story and wrote “Unfit to lead Italy” about it, “Unsuitable for governing”, that was also a blow. How now – does that mean we have chosen an incompetent clown as head of government? One always reacts particularly sensitively when criticism and malice come from neighboring Germany. If, then, it is mostly perceived, Berlin acts as the master of the south. However, things are currently a little different than usual. Italy bashing, always learning from the north? Maybe it would be time for a little role reversal.
It was shortly before Christmas when Italy was again judged in the international press. This time the Economist Italy named “Country of the Year 2021”. Despite a growing mountain of debt, and although 85-year-old and criminally convicted Berlusconi of all people now wants to become president. In Italy, where we know better than anywhere else what permanent political and economic crises are, it was a kind of early Christmas miracle. Suddenly there was talk of a renaissance, a kind of rebirth of the country.
Admittedly, that may sound a little pathetic and also a bit daring in view of a debt ratio of more than 150 percent of gross domestic product. And yet: Italy’s economy is likely to grow again by six percent after a sharp slump last year, leaving Germany behind, and the country’s vaccination rate is among the highest in Europe. And the mood? Better than in many other parts of Europe. Better than in Germany, where corona deniers and vaccination opponents stand with torches in front of other people’s houses and call them “walks”. Walks? Then maybe you would prefer an Italian renaissance.
The money from Brussels is a unique opportunity
The chances of this are historically good. Italy can spend more than 190 billion euros from the EU economic stimulus program, more than any other country in Europe. The grand plan of the government of former ECB chief Mario Draghi includes reforms in public administration, robust tax breaks, long overdue investments in infrastructure, grants and loans for private property owners who want to renovate and refurbish. In Rome they know that the Brussels financial blessing is also a historic opportunity to bring the poorer south of the country closer to the richer north and to modernize the country in the long term. It is probably also the last big chance for the time being.
And even if the number of Corona cases has been rising sharply for days: In Italy, a lot was done right in the course of the past year – and above all: faster, more binding and clearer. When it was still being discussed in Germany whether it would be possible to introduce mandatory vaccination for staff in health and care facilities from March 2022, the matter had long been clarified in Italy and accepted by most. Health workers in hospitals and nursing homes have had to be vaccinated since last spring. There is a dispute in Germany about a general compulsory vaccination, Rome introduces it for all over 50-year-olds. Corona vaccination has been mandatory for police officers and carabinieri since mid-December.
So if Italian shops, department stores and pizzerias were surprisingly well attended in the days between Christmas and New Year, that also means that the government has managed to bring people in the country closer to the connection between freedom, economic success and a successful vaccination campaign. In 2022 it will now be a matter of ensuring that the country of the year 2021 does not gamble away its new role again.