Berlusconi banned: time to celebrate for Italians?

Right at the end of a week which has witnessed a probably historical turning point in the history of my country, I have decided to take ink and pen and start writing about my experience abroad. To be honest, it would be more correct to say that I have just turned on my laptop and started writing, as like most people of my time I have partly (but not completely) lost the habit of writing on an inviting blank piece of paper in favour of a more prosaic keyboard. Anyway, as an Italian living in Spain, in the last few days I have been congratulated by many of my colleagues due to the expulsion from Parliament of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi following a vote in the Italian Senate.

Quite a stunning piece of news, if you consider that the three-times prime minister, despite being tried several times with various charges, had somehow managed to maintain his seat in the Parliament, almost being re-elected last February in an uncertain national election. Nevertheless, this historical decision which many Italians (including me) were eagerly expecting, left me with a sour taste in my mouth and a lot of bad thoughts.

Since my first days in school, during which I had carried out a brief presentation of myself and my country, I have noticed how the idea of Italy came to coincide with the most typical stereotypes: pasta, pizza, Ferrari and a few other iconic elements. To my surprise, though, the most well-known Italian character was Silvio Berlusconi, whose popularity also overcame that of sport celebrities like Valentino Rossi and Mario Balotelli. I must add that its name is normally mentioned with an ironic sneer, and probably not without a certain contempt. Far from deeming as negative the whole political career of Berlusconi, in fact, it must be said that the former Italian head of government made himself known in the rest of Europe with a series of deeds and declarations which have earned him quite an infamous reputation.

I am under the impression that a similar attitude is becoming quite widespread in European countries towards Italy and Italian people in general. Obviously, stereotypes and generalization must be handled carefully most of the times, but in this case I am afraid the way my native land is often portrayed is not completely devoid of truth. To what extent Berlusconi (and together with him, other politicians which have been protagonists of this crucial phase) has contributed to spreading the negative image which many European people have of Italy nowadays, I cannot tell (or maybe I pretend I do not know).

At any rate, I do not feel like celebrating such news as the ban of Berlusconi from Parliament, though I am obviously satisfied with the fact that justice, at least in part, has been done. All the work, and it is a really hard task, has to be done yet: give back to Italy its prominent place in the European political and social scenery and assure the Italian citizens a future at least less gloomy than the one they seem to face right now (take the word of one who, despite studying hard and, though for short periods, working hard, had to go abroad to find an occupation).

A place which Italy deserves for its unique cultural, historical and geographical heritage and for all that good things (for which at the moment I cannot find any better definitions) about its people and customs. It is the only way to prevent sneers and ironic comments about the situation of Italy and to make Italian people in the world proud of their native land.