Arnon Grunberg

System

Beast

And now something about Italy -- Jason Horowitz in NYT on yet again a crisis in Italy. (What would that lovely country do without?):

'"Nearly three months after the majority of Italians voted for populist parties, the aggrieved forces demanded a return to the polls, with the League’s leader doubting Italy’s democracy and the Five Star leader raising the prospect of the impeachment of President Sergio Mattarella.

But Mr. Mattarella, a soft-spoken keeper of Italian institutions, explained in a civics lesson to Italians Sunday night that he was only carrying out his constitutional obligations to confirm a stable government that protected Italian interests.

Speaking from his Quirinal Palace, Mr. Mattarella, who is imbued by Italy’s Constitution with great powers during a government transition period, pointed out that Italy was one of the founding members of the European Union. Its membership in the common euro currency, Mr. Mattarella said, was “a fundamentally important choice for the prospects of our country and our young people: If one wants to discuss it, it must be done openly.”

In other words, if both parties had campaigned on leaving the eurozone, that would be one thing. But both had been vague on the subject, especially the Five Star Movement, which backed off talk of leaving the zone in the campaign. It was thus unacceptable, Mr. Mattarella argued, for the parties to install an economics minister hostile to the euro as a way out of the eurozone.

“I do not say what I am saying with a light heart,” Mr. Mattarella said. “Because I did all I could so that a political government could be formed.”'

(...)

'But Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League, argued exactly the opposite on Sunday night.

Saying he was as angry as “a beast,” he offered a preview of what is likely to be a long and vicious campaign attacking foreign interests, Italian institutions and Mr. Mattarella himself.

“Does this seem like democracy to you?” he said to reporters. He blamed bankers, Brussels, German politicians in Berlin and “the big powers” for blocking the formation of a government and asserted that “Italians would not be anyone’s slave.”'

Read the article here.

Its interesting how certain political parties and movement (i.e. the extreme-right) like to hide behind the veil of democracy in order to install a illiberal and undemocratic system.

They love democracy, as long as it's good for them (many people have this habit). The whole idea of the parliamentary system is that it protects the country and its citizens against the tyranny of the biggest minority.

People who don't like this get sometimes angry as a beast.

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