Europe is in agreement: everyone is worried about Italy

Brussels is worried about the new Italian political crisis. Behind the official “no comment,” fear is rising in Europe regarding further repercussions of political instability and the economic situation

The word being used in Brussels is “nervous.” Almost everyone is concerned, except, as usual, the Commission’s tight-lipped spokespeople, overcome only by the Commissioner and other EU leaders. At Berlaymont (European Commission Headquarters) it is officially “not the time to speak,” but to “respect the democratic process in progress,” to “carefully follow the developments.” But behind the “no comment” and the press releases we say “zip it;” Brussels’ concerns about the possible political crisis that risk throwing Italy into chaos again are just as obvious anyway. It is inevitable – instability will take its toll on fiscal consolidation and on the requirements that Europe continues to ask us to respect. Thus, if Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen, spokeswoman of the Commission, buys time saying “at this time there are no comments,” at least pending the vote of confidence Wednesday, one of the most important Commissioners, Michel Barnier, Head of Internal Markets, while meeting Franco Frattini in Brussels, lets it slip that there are “serious concerns.” The political stability is preconditioned by economic stability, the Commissioner reiterates, concerned about the increase in spread.

Even the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, is “concerned” about “massive bond liquidations in case of emergency elections in Italy.” Not even Olli Rehn, Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, sleeps soundly; he follows what is happening in Rome “carefully,” waiting for the draft on the law of stability that should arrive by the end of October. Just yesterday Rehn should have discussed it with the Minister of Economy and Finances, Fabrizio Saccomanni, who was stranded in Italy by the storm.

Despite the situation, the Minister of European Affairs, Enzo Moavero didn’t miss the General Affairs Council in Brussels, who confirmed: in “agreement with other ministers and with the European institutes” I see how important it is “that our country attains a solid government and stability.” “Among the residents in European community – he added – there is concern about what happens to a neighbor.”  Already a few days ago the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, summed up the current climate: “I hope Italy remains stable – he said meeting with some journalists – because the stability of Europe depends on the stability of Italy, but maybe it is just wishful thinking.”

In fact, we are starting to hear the voices of worried neighbors. “Of course we want a stable government in Italy” the spokesperson for the German government, Steffen Seibert, comments from Berlin, confidently saying that “the Italian political forces will work to stabilize the situation.” This hope is shared by the head of the Spanish government, Mariano Rajoy, according to whom Italy must resolve its problems “for its own good and that of Spain.” The Iberian economic picture, highlighted the Prime Minister, worsened because of the Italians and now it must improve.

The international press was much less diplomatic about the new Italian crisis. The German daily newspaper ‘Handelsblatt,’ calls Silvio Berlusconi “irresponsible” and “an enemy of his own country,” since the end of the government now would be “disastrous.”  The British ‘The Guardian’ asks what is happening in the mind of the former Prime Minister, suggesting that maybe at 77 years old, proves already there is some “perverse pleasure in taking the government coalition hostage:” “when there is a man incapable of separating his own destiny from that of his own country – concludes the article – it is a recipe for disaster.” Also for the Spanish ‘El Pais’ Italy cannot afford to still have Berlusconi in its own political machine and remain hostage, going from one crisis to another. For the Wall Street Journal, who even dedicated yesterday’s opening headlines to the Italian political crisis; Berlusconi is like a modern Nerone. He and Letta, a comment reads, “play the lyre while Rome burns.” The American daily newspaper says the Italians, “the only ones among all countries in the Euro, were reluctant to take responsibility for the Nation’s problems:” the political class “presented the crisis as something done by Brussels, Frankfurt or other speculators to damage Italy.”

Even the group of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, for whom the PDL leader doesn’t have a “sense of responsibility,” points the finger at Silvio Berlusconi and wants to condemn the country to instability. However, not even the European political family is excused from fault by the Italian right-wing: “the PPE – accuses the Socialist leader Hannes Swoboda – should have prevented the PDL Ministers’ resignations from the government in the interest of stability, but the will or the power to do it must not be there.”

 Letizia Pascale