At the end of June, different scenes occurred in the Italian parliament. Left MPs presented national flags and sang the anthem, and in consequence the right hand reached for regional banners. 1 5 Star Movement (M5S) politician was bullied by members of the government coalition after he approached them with the Italian flag. The gathering area was left in a wheelchair and nationalist prime minister Giorgia Meloni considered the full incidental to be a "provokation".
The disturbance was triggered by the push for a government task that would increase regional autonomy, giving them greater freedom to have taxation revenues and weakening government control over public services. The events in Italy are rather interesting, that they are in contrast to the popular opinion that it is the left that defends regional autonomy and supports decentralisation. Why specified a reversal of roles and raising the slogans of national unity by Italian progressives?
Problem Mezzogiorno
To realize that, you request to remember any facts about Italian history. The unification of the country took place comparatively late in the second half of the 19th century, and it consisted mostly of conquering the backward south (Mezzogiorno) through the modern north. Since then, Italy's main problems have been the economical and social gap, dividing the state in half. Different governments and different political regimes have more or little tried to remedy this, but with average results at most.
It did not aid to treat the southerners in the north from above. Residents Mezzogiorno Europe's Indians were called, naturally lazy and violent, closer to Africa than the Western world. specified (actually racist) perceptions of compatriots led to the fact that even after planet War II, confederate immigrants frequently experienced discrimination after coming to the north, encountering difficulties in uncovering jobs or housing, and home and abroad companies little willingly investing in Campania or Apulia than Lombardy or Emilia-Romania.
At present, the aversion to Southerners does not scope this size, but inactive repents of the stereotype that they are little industrious and do not meet the requirements of the modern economy. State efforts to compensate for the improvement of the various regions of Italy, by the way, since the 1970s clearly weakening, have frequently been presented as a waste of developed wealth in the north. The Northern League grew up on specified a resensitisation, erstwhile demanding the disconnection of Lombardy and Veneto from the remainder of the country, and now fighting for as much regional autonomy as possible.
Regional autonomy for Prime Minister's sovereignty
Ten years ago Giorgia Meloni advocated the abolition of the division of the country into 20 regions, corresponding about to historical lands, and replacing them with respective twelve fresh administrative units, which would besides let the province, the next level of Italian territorial organisation, to be abandoned. This was intended to reduce bureaucracy and at the same time strengthen central power and local self-government. So what prompted the National-Conservative Brothers of Italy to support greater regional autonomy?
There was a simple transaction between Meloni and Salvini, the League leader who removed the adjective "north" from the name but did not abandon its regionalism. In exchange for gathering the expectations of erstwhile separatists, the Italian Prime Minister was guaranteed their support for her flagship reform: ‘Third Republic’ with the powerful head of government. The right-wing coalition is pushing for a constitutional change at this point, as a consequence of which the Prime Minister would be elected directly, and after the triumph it would not be possible to remove it or deprive the parliamentary majority (at least 55 percent of seats are to go to the organization or coalition with the best result) without accelerated elections.
This leads to a peculiar situation in which the government simultaneously seeks to strengthen the executive power and weaken it. extremist centralisation will be political at national level, but Rome will have little to say in the management of the regions and these will not gotta share gross jointly, which will deepen the gap between the rich and mediocre parts of Italy. So it can be said that Melons have put their autocratic thrusts above the nationalism that represents her party.
Regionalism or selfishness?
In this situation, the slogan of defending “national unity” is raised by the left, which in Italy is not a peculiar novelty. Modern progressives mention to Garibaldi and another socialists co-responsible for national unification, as well as to the creators of the post-war Republic for whom improvement Mezzogiorno was 1 of the main objectives of the fresh Italy. However, ambitious plans were only partially implemented, to which the brick was added by regionalists opposed to the wider redistribution of funds between provinces by the investing state at noon. The Left so consistently positions itself on the side of national solidarity, which in this case serves to curb the economical egotism of rich regions, willing to sacrifice the improvement of the full country for the peculiar advantages.
Electoral geography is besides important. While the Democratic organization remains strong mainly in erstwhile communist bastions in the north of Italy, M5S presently represents primarily mediocre Mezzogiorno, which most benefited from populist politics during their regulation (including basic income and subsidies for home renovations). The right-wing parties, apart from the League, besides have considerable support in the south, but are now risking losing it, and the opposition to the intensified regionalisation will effort to mobilize the local voters, traditionally subverting national attendance. Any possible success may tip the scales of triumph in favour of the left in the course of the referendum on Meloni's constitutional improvement or in the following elections, planned for 2027.
At the same time, events in Italy are part of a debate affecting many European countries on the legitimacy and legitimacy of various regional or separatist movements. How frequently does the defence of local culture stand behind them, and how frequently does economical greed motivate them? The second is present, for example, in the popular Catalan nationalism on the left, a deplorable reluctance to submit to the mediocre of Andalusia. Separatist politicians are talking about “Fiscal sovereignty” and the preservation of all local incomes, indicating their motivation. People who are close to the thought of social justice should light a red light whenever autonomy or independency demands rich regions – besides frequently behind lofty slogans there is pure selfishness.
