Model for Europe?
South Tyrol with a new center-right government
The Silvius-Magnago-Platz in South Tyrol’s capital Bolzano, on the left the seat of the state government, in the middle the parliament building. photo
© Christoph Sator/dpa
South Tyrol is best known in Germany as a holiday destination. Until now, there has been less interest in politics there. But now the long-term ruling SVP party is entering into an alliance with three right-wing parties – a model for others in Europe?
The mood in the holiday region with its 530,000 inhabitants is definitely tense. Since the new coalition emerged following the election defeat of the previous “collective party” in the fall with only 34.5 percent, there have been several protest marches. Even a cardboard coffin with the initials SVP was carried through the capital Bolzano. There were open letters from art and science warning against “blatantly neo-fascist politics.” Some accuse the old and new head of government Arno Kompatscher of making a “pact with the devil”.
On Wednesday, before the new ministers were to be elected, demonstrators again marched in front of the state parliament. The debate in Parliament dragged on so long that the vote in the evening was postponed until Thursday.
Three partners from the right
The reason for the excitement is that the new coalition also includes parties, some of which are far to the right: the Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) of Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which has its origins in post-fascism, and the right-wing national Lega of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini from the same Party family such as the AfD and the Freedom Party, which is close to the right-wing populist FPÖ from neighboring Austria. The smallest partner in the new five-party alliance is the conservative citizens’ list La Civica.
The cooperation is also delicate because, for historical reasons, the SVP has always attached great importance to demarcation to the right: After the First World War, South Tyrol and the neighboring province of Trentino (then: Welschtirol) were separated from Austria and given to Italy. The fascist dictator Benito Mussolini then had people from the south settle with the aim of “Italianization”. German was banned in schools.
Beyond the firewall?
After the Second World War, it took decades for the South Tyroleans to win the statute in its current form after the first statute of autonomy in 1948. The SVP was a defining force: This is another reason why one should be careful with comparisons. From a German perspective, the three right-wing SVP partners are probably very close to the political “firewall” or already on the other side. Some even think that the new alliance is something like CSU Prime Minister Markus Söder in Bavaria not only having to get along with Hubert Aiwanger’s Free Voters, but also with the AfD and a Bavarian branch of the FPÖ.
Head of government speaks of “community of convenience”
Kompatscher doesn’t want to know anything about it. “The comparison is clearly lagging,” says the 52-year-old to the German Press Agency. “We stay where we are. We don’t move to the right.” And it’s certainly not a pact with the devil. “We haven’t sold our souls. And we won’t.” Kompatscher speaks of a “community of convenience” that there was practically no way around due to the election results and the constitution. It could also be an advantage to govern with two parties that are also in power in Rome. The opposition, however, accused him in the state parliament on Wednesday of allowing himself to be blackmailed from Rome.
In fact, the Statute of Autonomy stipulates that a party from the Italian language group must always be involved in government. Even at times of greatest dominance, the SVP always had an Italian partner. What is new is that there are three of them – and also that the SVP had to include another party from German-speaking countries for the first time. The center-center-right-right-right coalition (2M3R for short) now has 19 of 35 seats in parliament. So that everyone in the cabinet gets positions, it was enlarged from eight to eleven department heads.
Kompatscher: No model for right-of-center governments
Kompatscher also rejects suggestions that a model for governments far to the right of center is being tried out in South Tyrol, which could then also be used in Germany or elsewhere. “Absolutely not. I object to the idea that we should be the pioneers of anything in this direction.” The coalition agreement states a clear yes to Europe and a clear no to any fascist ideology. “There is a clear red line,” promises the SVP man. “If this goes in the wrong direction, the ripcord will be pulled.” He will be under a lot of scrutiny in the near future.
The country’s new tennis hero is currently staying out of South Tyrolean politics. Sinner is back from Australia, but he doesn’t have time to go home yet. Instead, he was photographed in Rome embracing right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. This Thursday, when the five-party alliance gets to work in Bolzano, President Sergio Mattarella will also give them a big reception there. South Tyrol has to wait.