The survival of Prime Minister Enrico Letta's Italian Government, in the face of the political controversies surrounding Senator Silvio Berlusconi, is an important moment for European politics. But that success is not conclusive, and is only the beginning of a better path.
Letta, leader of the Partito Democratico (PD) and head of the left-wing bloc of parties, was forced by the 2013 Italian elections to form a coalition with Berlusconi's Il Popolo della Liberta (PdL), which headed the right-wing bloc of parties. The controversial PdL Senator, Berlusconi, had sought to wield his supporters against the government over their fiscal policy, in order to redress the balance of the coalition in his own favour (Davies, 2013).
However, support for his threat - resignations should his demands not be met - dwindled in the face of the potential instability that the fall of the government might bring, and Berlusconi was forced to back down and support the government's position (Davies, 2013). But those in favour of a sensible and moderate resolution to Italy's problems, without this kind of 'brinkmanship', should be wary of heralding such a moment as a victory. Such a statement would be entirely premature.
However, support for his threat - resignations should his demands not be met - dwindled in the face of the potential instability that the fall of the government might bring, and Berlusconi was forced to back down and support the government's position (Davies, 2013). But those in favour of a sensible and moderate resolution to Italy's problems, without this kind of 'brinkmanship', should be wary of heralding such a moment as a victory. Such a statement would be entirely premature.
Facing down personal interests in favour of greater goals can be a brave move in politics. And this time it has bought a government time to get its house in order. But the continued presence of the Movimento 5 Stelle, Italy's continuing financial difficulties, the continuing indecisive division of Italian politics between two large left and right blocs, and above all the continuing need to find a cure for political disaffection, means that there is still a lot of work to be done (Toscano, 2013; The Guardian, 2013).
Ultimately, then, these moments - as with this one for the Italian Premier Letta - are only beginnings. That is important to remember. And remember it we must if we are not to delude ourselves into complacency by putting too much faith in particular symbolic events, or symbolic victories, as heralding some sort of magical transformation.
Psychiatrist Carl Jung described these kinds of construction as 'archetypes'. These archetypes, based on existing objects and roles, and then shaped by culture and history, in turn shape our reactions to the things we encounter. They serve to simplify our navigation through the world. However, strictly adhering to these 'instinctual' relations to objects, persons or events - particularly when success or victory are involved - limits us. Buying into these archetypes - stereotypes or cultural constructions - only encourages an unhealthy lack of scepticism towards our own reactions to the world and far too great an amount of certainty.
A much healthier alternative is to find hope in moments such as Senator Berlusconi's climbdown, not as a conclusive transformative event, but to find hope in it as a beginning. Taking hope in beginnings means still cherishing successes, but without relying on it to magically transform us. It instead encourages us to see success as work done, in our ongoing efforts to transform ourselves.
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References:
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+ Lizzy Davies' 'Silvio Berlusconi makes humiliating climbdown in Italian parliament'; in The Guardian; 2 October 2013.
+ Lizzy Davies' 'Silvio Berlusconi U-turn keeps Italy's grand coalition afloat'; in The Guardian; 2 October 2013.
+ Alberto Toscano's 'Italy's latest coalition crisis is a morbid symptom of deeper political malaise'; in The Guardian; 1 October 2013.
+ The Guardian's 'Italy: Red Letta Day'; 2 October 2013.
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