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O Diplomata

Opinião e Análise de Assuntos Políticos e Relações Internacionais

O Diplomata

Opinião e Análise de Assuntos Políticos e Relações Internacionais

A crise da direita italiana vista por um membro da Aliança Nacional

Alexandre Guerra, 23.11.07


A direita italiana vive momentos conturbados, com Silvio Berlusconi a assumir, mais uma vez, o protagonismo principal. Os últimos dias têm sido dominados por inúmeros acontecimentos, que levaram à alteração do alinhamento partidário no centro-direita.  



Um texto de Bruno Tiozzo, membro da Aliança Nacional, que chegou até ao Diplomata através de um destacado membro do PSD e amigo daquele, revela com algum pormenor o que se vai passando na política italiana.  

 

Com a devida autorização de Bruno Tiozzo, o Diplomata publica neste espaço o referido texto, que é um testemunho interesssante de alguém que está na primeira linha dos acontecimentos.



About the conflit in the italian center-right*


"As you probably have noticed a huge conflict has arisen inside the Italian centre-right. I will try to explain to you what has happened and the position of my party, Alleanza nazionale (AN).



As you know the centre-right coalition lost narrowly the elections in April last year after five years in government.



Since the defeat a primary goal, at least for AN, has been to redefine the coalition, working towards a single party of the centre-right through a federation and then perhaps a fusion of AN and Forza Italia (FI). The ideological and political differences between the two main parties of the centre-right are in fact very few and it would have been a logical step working together towards a unitary party.



In the last year, Silvio Berlusconi, leader of FI, has primarily been working to cause the downfall of the leftwing government led by Romano Prodi, also trying to convince senators elected with the left to pass in opposition.



AN has been supporting this strategy, but after last week's budget vote in the Senate it stands clear that this isn't a fruitful long term strategy. The left is determined to stay in power and it's therefore probably the case for the opposition to choose a different approach towards the government, for instance when discussing reforms of the institutional and electoral systems.



In July, Gianfranco Fini, leader of AN, requested Mr. Berlusconi to finally give life to the process of federating the two main parties of the centre-right. Mr. Berlusconi answered that it was premature. Some people think he was already planning go ahead by his own. In fact, this summer the symbol of the new "Freedom party" was deposited by Maria Vittoria Brambilla, leader of the 'Freedom circles'.



This autumn some events contributed to make a change of course even more necessary:



Most importantly the formation on the left of the Democratic party (PD) by the fusion of the too main parties of the government area, the Left wing democrats (DS) and the Margherita, with the Rome mayor Walter Veltroni (born in 1955) as leader. Particularly AN is convinced this makes a similar process on the centre-right even more urgent;



Secondly, the formation of a splinter group on the right of AN called "La Destra" (the Right) and led by Senator Francesco Storace (former governor of the Latium region). The new party is highly critical of the moderate and reform minded stances of Mr. Fini. Therefore it was not very much appreciated that Mr. Berlusconi participated in the first congress of the Right, laughing and embracing the leaders of the new party (former members of AN);



Thirdly. The failure of the strategy to cause the downfall of the government, provoking new elections, by the defection of leftwing senators.



Taking in account these changes of the political scenario, Mr. Fini wrote an open letter to Mr. Berlusconi published last Friday in the Corriere della Sera, Italy's main newspaper. In the letter Mr. Fini explained the necessity to choose a new strategy in confronting the government and especially begin to work, seriously, toward long term goals such as the accomplishment of institutional and electoral reforms. It should be underlined that the differences between AN and FI put forward by Mr. Fini in the letter were of method and not of an ideological nature.



Last weekend an unhappy incident occurred when Fabrizio Cicchitto , deputy coordinator of FI, was booed at an event of AN. This was however not due to his party membership, and the proof of this is that another MP of FI, Ferdinando Adornato, head of the Liberal foundation, was applauded participating in the same round table.



Sunday evening, as a complete surprise, Mr. Berlusconi announced that FI is going to be dissolved and merge into a new formation provisionally called 'Il Partito del popolo delle libertà' (PPL) or 'The Party of the freedom people'. He also declared that the centre-right Freedom house coalition between FI and AN doesn't exist anymore, as well as the bipolar party system Italy has had for the last 14 years. Successively, he has added that the new PPL isn't interested in forming a coalition with AN, preferring a 'great coalition' as in Germany with the PD.



Personally I find the behaviour of Mr. Berlusconi very incoherent and the critics of "ingratitude" towards AN unjustified.



AN has always been a loyal partner, also when other coalition partners such as the Christian democrats (UDC) of Pierferdinando Casini have directed harsh critique towards Mr. Berlusconi and his leadership.



The points put forward by Mr. Fini in his open letter re-enters in the normal dialectics between coalition partners. The following actions by Mr. Berlusconi, announcing unilaterally (in a square) the creation of the new party making clear he is not interested in the cooperation of Mr. Fini and Mr. Casini and all the people voting for AN and UDC is something unheard of in Western democracies.



AN intends to continue its path of the last years, working towards a united Italian centre-right, moderate and reform minded, together with the full insertion of AN in the family of the European centre-right. AN remains in favour of a political system with two different parties or coalitions alternating in power. Several local elections are approaching, and AN will work to create coalitions of the centre-right against the left. AN hasn't changed. The questions is rather what Mr. Berlusconi intends to do?" *
Bruno Tiozzo, membro da Aliança Nacional