(en) France, Courant Alternatif CA #230 - Grillo, an Italian Coluche? (fr)

It is understood, Beppe Grillo, considered the winner of the last Italian elections, is 
both a populist and a new Coluche [French comedian] ... or both at the same time. Such 
adjectives are perhaps not wrong, but repeated over and over again by almost all observers 
storefront, they become so much common places they deserve some attention a little. ---- 
Lets see some Italian specificities ---- Of all Western Europe Italy is the country where 
voter turnout was the highest in the decades that followed the end of World War II. This 
is probably a clich? to say that discusses "political" at all street corners and even in 
squares late into the night, the travelers of the same compartment that had never seen an 
hour earlier will start to "talk politics" to kill time, but it's still a reality if we 
stick to this policy that considers electoral contests like a sport, and god knows ( or do 
not know) that the peninsula is home to sports paris.

From 1948 to 1976 the abstentions are between 6 and 8%. But from that date they will 
gradually increase to a record 25% in the 2013 elections that concern us here. What has 
happened? In this first period, Italy fate of fascism, war and resistance. Two large 
formations divide the cheese, the Italian Communist Party and the Christian Democrats 
(DC). The Socialist Party, first ally in the shadow of the powerful PCI, then try to find 
some color in alliance with the DC, but always as a second knife. It will provide still in 
the country, 83 to 87, a chairman, Bettino Craxi who will subsequently sentenced to 27 
years in prison, flee to Tunisia to escape justice!

Beyond belief often quite strong in the first period, the vote for a particular camp is 
also a matter of customers that goes beyond the ideological loyalty to a party in the 
narrow sense. It is also a story, a neighborhood, a region, a family. It comes from the 
resistance or not, it is anti or not, we're all a little Catholic anyway, so the fighting, 
while they can be harsh, often resolve as those between Don Camillo and Peppone to cinema! 
Clientelism is also use by the control of a region or a city, large or small services, and 
in the background a mafia in extremis had chosen the Resistance and now found the place 
suits his interests coincide more often with those of the DC to control the state 
apparatus. In this context it was out of the question not to vote, since the two major 
churches, Catholic and Stalin called to go to the polls. Especially since the country 
emerged from 20 years of fascism and total deprivation of dissenting political expression 
and elections are often a pretext to raise their voices. Manna from Marshall plan to 
re-start the business and fight against communism ensured a growth of 6% per year from 
1949 relaunch by major industries, particularly steel and automotive (with as a direct 
result of the development a working class providing basic PCI, there was something for 
nothing!) The economic recovery was gradually pull the country out of the poverty in which 
he was immersed in the immediate post war and was a breath of optimism very away from the 
current disenchantment. The parties were not discredited, quite the contrary.

In the late 70s and beginning of the crisis, burst business corruptions that the next 
decade will increase causing a progressive part of the population with the political 
divorce. Creepy May 68-69, the years of lead that followed, the military attempts plots 
fascisto-Americans United, the fusional between the mafia and the DC reports will be due 
to the political configuration of the country. Especially that judges launch the operation 
mani pulite early 90s show that corruption is widespread and that the system of party 
financing affects all of these (DC, Socialist Party, a small liberal party, etc.). except PCI.

PCI, it is ideologically undermined from within. Only the Communist Party to criticize the 
Soviet intervention in Hungary in 1956, he attempted to theorize polycentrality Communist 
strategy, that is to say, the obligation not to systematically align Moscow. Berlinguer 
attempts to validate a "historic compromise" in the late 70s that is to say a shift to a 
part of the Christian Democrats. Much has been said that this rapprochement had failed due 
to the execution of the Christian Democrat leader Aldo Moro by the Red Brigades. A little 
short explanation! In fact, such a shift could only create large internal divisions even 
as PCI independence vis-?-vis the Soviet Union remains very theoretical since then 
continues to receive big brother million subsidies and the potential ally, DC, is already 
plagued by revelation "business"! The big difference is impossible and the fall of the 
Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union will precipitate the PCI that dissolves in 1991 giving 
birth to two teams, the PSD, Social Democratic and Communist Refoundation which in turn 
are , will split into two.

Christian democracy, weakened and ended with the charges and revelations that rain 
cascading dissolved (though not officially) to turn in 1994 and broke into several parties.

Thus, the operation Mani pulite revealing widespread corruption and the collapse of the 
Berlin Wall will because of two rocks of Italian politics after the war disappear. As the 
third little thief, the Socialist Party, which dissolves also in 1994 following the 
conviction and the escape of its main leader, Bettino Craxi. In three years the major 
players in the Italian parliamentary life since the war evaporated. Thus the way is open 
for new adventures.

A politician landscape is redrawn

New movements with new faces emerge in the political landscape. The Northern League of 
Umberto Bossi which grows in the early 90s, Berlusconi and Forza Italia in 1994 and in 
2009, the movement of 5 stars (cinque stelle M5S: water, environment, transportation 
networks and development) . The abstention to strengthen slowly but surely over the years 
and if in 2008 there were still 80% of voters are in 2013 a quarter of the voters who are 
not moved.

The side of the defeated Berlusconi (about which some observers spoke of victory since his 
surprise return), which, with its ten million votes still loses 7 compared to 2008, 
despite a last-minute tinkering with Northern League. The (ex-communist) left center 
Bersani with less than 8 million loses 3. Even with losing 10% austere Mario Monti, the 
man charged by Europe a year earlier to all austerity measures demanded that employers 
(pension reform, flexicurity, higher taxes) and restore confidence in financial market. 
Supported in its infancy by Confindustria (Italian MEDEF) Berlusconi had been abandoned by 
her because of her style and pans he dragged behind him, deemed harmful to the credibility 
of Italy to boost growth. The support of the employers' organization granted early Monti 
lasted only a portion of his term because of the departure of FIAT, the largest employer 
in Italy, which required the confederation terminate agreements branch that was required 
to comply under agreements with the union. But the CEO of Ferrari and Fiat, on an even 
harder than the rest of employers online deregulation was part of the staff of Monti (also 
the sides of the former President of the Italian neo-fascist party, Gianfranco Fini has 
meanwhile become Foreign Minister Berlusconi). He paid cash.

The winning side: abstention we talked about, but also the movement to five star got about 
25% of the votes in both chambers. A movement that had already won four cities, including 
Parma, in the municipal 2012.

Populism?

It is a constant: lorsqu'?merge on the political scene a UFO that crack the bi-or 
tri-party (! Well underway), which seemed eternity to preside over the destiny of a 
purring parliamentary democracy, no voice lacks Call to evoke a populist surge. A word 
that sounds like a sentence and became a repellent mat, used as his brother "fascism." 
This is actually a way to evade any resemblance to him and not to push too far the 
investigations which could encourage vocations to make comparisons or even affiliations 
between the new and the old. Seen in France where the ultimate ideological weapon in the 
hands of the establishment politician is to wave the populist danger to save parliamentary 
democracy. M?lanchon, Artaud, leftists, basically anything that moves and exits or is 
suspected pr?m?ch?s out frames in the same bag with the Pen! The string is big but it is 
only to be used in the upcoming elections to both save the system and ward revolts yet 
legitimate.

What is populism?

If we stick to some characteristics accepted by everyone it is a political movement that 
takes the elite and appeal to people by offering demagogic solutions that seem common 
sense and apply quickly. Until then, simplifying a bit, it is possible to classify the 
revolutionary ideologies socialists, communists and anarchists. What admirers of the 
capitalist order do not hesitate to. And yet there is a big difference between all forms 
of populism and social empowerment projects are class references that always excluded 
populism. According to him there is certainly off in society, but it is between the people 
and the elites who can be alternately or together politicians, economic pressure groups or 
even ethnic, but never the bourgeoisie as owner of the means of production . The people 
are never the proletariat and the working class rarely.

According Grillo Italian society is divided into two blocks. In the first one, which it is 
addressed, there are "millions of young people without a future, insecure and with a 
university degree" who want to "let them go" ... but to take their place. There are also 
jumbled all excluded small retired people crushed by heavy taxes and small businesses are 
facing bankruptcy due to mismanagement and taxes.

The other block is composed of "haves". And the rich are those designated as such upon 
Juppe movement pensions. These are the employees a little protected as officials who cling 
to their beefsteak, retirees who can live at the same time as tax evaders or different 
conservative lobbies and old politicians glued to their sinecures. But it is never large 
capitalist enterprises. A second cut intersects the first is that between youth and 
others. Excluded young people and others who cling to their privileges. And in this sense 
Grillo is really a populist. It does not seek to unite the exploited against the 
exploiters but to divide.

Populism appealed to the people but to people who are not able to save itself and the 
movement he is able to create it is a massive support to the leader and his party. 
Populism calls for a charismatic figure, a savior to be followed in order to "liberate". 
Traditionally this movement membership manifested through the ballot box and in the 
street, now it is also through media channels such as internet, never self-emancipation. 
Grillo, who spent part of his life to spit on their media owes much of its success. Again 
populism is the opposite of socialist emancipation project. And of course M5S too.

Grillo and program

Beppe Grillo is a imprecator handling a speech several facet depending on where, when and 
to whom it is addressed.

The electorate M5S is young and often derived from this generation "1000 euros" (recall 
for comparison that in Greece there was talk of "Generation 600 euros!) Who wants to 
express his opposition to the" technician "(read technocrat ) Monti appointed by Europe to 
impose austerity measures while in a year, unemployment rose 8 11% (30 to 37% among 
young!), and that the poor are now officially 10 million (about 60 million). Grillo then 
proposes a minium income, reduced military spending, reduced wages for politicians, out of 
the euro zone (later retracted). It puts more forward a number of claims that are in tune 
with the times and can attract or environmentalists outraged sensibilities present in 
these young graduates without work: reduction of CO2 emissions, stop large projects such 
as the TGV Lyon -Turin, promote collective and public transport, and the icing on the 
cake, it is favorable to gay marriage. But he does not forget even when it should attract 
some of the electorate Bossi and shop in trouble. He is in favor of maintaining the ban on 
birthright for children of immigrants, and opens the door to neo-fascist social center 
casapound saying that "it was better than Monti" and the fight against fascism "was not 
his problem "

But what makes it the most popular is to shout out against waste and it is in the 
recommended action to eradicate it, somehow his economic program, which is seen most 
clearly in what camp he is. It is not just a "populist" but is clearly positioned towards 
the interests of the capitalist restructuring: it targets all the social gains made in the 
postwar period by the relative strength of the working class and the bourgeoisie. He wants 
to make cuts in the public sector, remove regulators within the state to privatize more 
and especially in the teaching he wants more related businesses. It operates a 
differentiation between "essential care" that would only repaid and others who come in his 
prevention of a "first degree" ie a healthy life (its green side). He proposed the 
outright removal of existing unions preferring, like Mussolini, the corporatist unions, 
that is to say, the workings of the State responsible for organizing society vertically

So a new Coluche?

Grillo was often compared to Coluche (who had planned to run for the French presidency in 
1981). A comic who entered politics. It is true that in 1985 they played together in The 
Mad War Dino Risi in which Grillo tried to remove a half-crazy Coluche command of a 
military camp. In 1987 the comic is transferred from the Italian public TV for making fun 
of the head of government, the Socialist Bettino Craxi. In the early 90s he was one of the 
few opponents of "Berlusconization" of the country by multiplying the sketches against the 
"Cavaliere".

But the comparison stops there. Coluche is deeply marked by the "culture protest sixty 
huitarde" that still irrigates the French company at the height of its popularity. Even in 
the second or third degree, his sketches suffer no ambiguity. His favorite, as with Reiser 
or Cabu target is the "redneck". Grillo, he is a "redneck" who does not disdain multiply 
xenophobic and homophobic outputs treating some of his political opponents of gay "fags" 
and multiplying the first degree obscene gestures. He sees AIDS as "the biggest joke of 
the century and HIV chimera ... it is the pharmaceutical industry that created the virus! "

In fact if we had to compare it to someone on the French stage performers, it would be 
better to Patrick Sebastien and Jean-Marie Bigard, as Coluche was clearly on the other 
side of the political spectrum . His movement will obviously 5 stars fray gradually as the 
ambitions of the new elected officials argue against their mentor. It has been an 
indicator of the institutional crisis in Italy through a period of deep economic crisis 
and inability to respond to global struggles.

a movement that fails to find its space

It is clear that Italy is unfortunately a place in the panorama of the struggle against 
austerity in Western Europe. Little or no major events such as Spain or Portugal. No 
movement of "outraged", not as an anarchist riots in Greece, no large estates union 
protests against pension reform as France. Italy seems largely absent revolts that have 
shaken in recent years the Mediterranean basin. As the collective Wu Ming ( 
http://www.wumingfoundation.com/ ) in a text circulating on the net "movement 5 stars 
defended the system": "We did not have to Tahrir Square, we did not have to Puerta del 
Sol, we have not had Syntagma Square. " Significant and important struggles that have 
taken place in the peninsula, and there was (see inset two examples among many others), 
remained confined locally and have never made ??sense in Peninsular. We reported in the AC 
against the TAV in Val di Susa, one of the inhabitants of Taranto against an 
ecological-industrial disaster, outside their area of origin are never managed to cause an 
active echo outside environments militants.

Yet it is almost certain that a majority of the popular classes is opposed to these 
projects (we add one that claims linking Sicily to the mainland by a huge bridge!) And 
considers patterns of large steel companies as murderers and thugs. Also certain that it 
does not in his heart the European austerity policies (Mario Monti has made fresh). But 
all this is still "inside" and unable to speak collectively. It's like blocking the 
protest. And, so, as you can not pass the "means" to "do" at the heart of social, that 
says a lot Grillo (who yelled, even!) But above all do nothing but to follow because will, 
there is a space that allows it to consolidate this position by maintaining the screed 
which freezes and strengthens the system.

Jpd