WTI Magazine #19    2014 Feb, 28
Author : Umberto Mucci e Francesca Papasergi      Translation by:

Last week we left with a big TO BE CONTINUED, which could easily be the motto of the last decades of the Italian politics. Mr. Renzi was trying to get every party's endorsement during the consultations, explaining his ideas and policies' proposals about Italy's future.

At the end of these meetings, he formally accepted his office and presented a new list of Ministers to the President of the Republic, who appoints the Prime Minister and the Ministers ("potere di nomina"). According to the Constitution, Mr. Renzi should have been the one and only to choose his team, but rumors has it that Mr. Napolitano interpreted the appointment power pretty extensively and imposed a couple of names to Mr. Renzi, eventually. As you may not know, soccer is not the Italian national sport: political gossip is. And as a very important Italian politician used to say, "Thinking ill is a sin, but often it's a good guess".

Mr. Renzi started this week giving a speech in both the Senate and the House, winning the vote of confidence. Now the Government is in full effect, or better, not exactly: in these very hours Mr. Renzi is deciding – again, rumors has it that a few people are choosing and imposing something to Renzi – the list of the Deputy Ministers and Undersecretaries, who are an important part of the Government.

This new Government is probably not exactly what Mr. Renzi would have done without vetoes and "offers he couldn't refuse": it is a compromise. Still, the number of Ministries (16), the average age (48 years, 16 less than Monti's 2011 Government!) and the number of women in it (8, the 50% of the team) are very innovative. No Government before has been such thin, young and pink, not to mention that no Prime Minister has ever been 39, in Italian republican history. His age wouldn't even allow Mr. Renzi to run for Senate, where you need to be at least 40.

Though, there are 10 Ministers who were in the former Government, either as Ministers or as Vice Ministers or Undersecretaries. But Mr. Renzi governs thanks to a majority formed by seven parties, and in his own party against him there's a small but consistent minority which promises not to be quiet or docile. He has got the power, and he certainly knows how to use it and communicate it through the media: but not as fully and as much as other Prime Ministers or Presidents have in the other countries of the Western world.

So, the job is truly tough, but the guy insists he has in him the sacred fire needed to change everything and restart the engine of the country. With a tragic economic situation, almost the entire population angry and apparently discouraged, the European elections at the end of may and two different strong oppositions in the Parliament and in the country like Mr. Berlusconi and Mr. Grillo, Matteo Renzi has ahead of him (and of our country) very interesting, hard, important, dangerous, decisive, dramatic months.

We the Italians, as always, will not take part in the debate: but we promise that we will keep explaining you the curious, extravagant experiment that Italian politics everyday shows, hoping that Italy will start giving its best and stop giving its worse. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be?