Former Italian Home Secretary, Prime Minister and President
[anarkismo.net] The proposed education reform (known as the Gelmini Law,
after the current Education Minister) is provoking enormous reaction
from students, parents and teachers and many schools and universities
have been occupied by protesters in recent days. Two days ago, Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi threatened to restore order by sending in
the police (which he subsequently denied, despite documentary
evidence). The following interview from yesterday’s "Quotidiano
nazionale" with former Italian President, Francesco Cossiga, is a good
indicator of the current mood in the country. (Introduction by
Anarkismo.net)
An interview with Francesco Cossiga
by Andrea Cangini for "Quotidiano nazionale" (Il Giorno/Il Resto del Carlino/La Nazione), 23.10.2008
President Cossiga, do you think that Berlusconi has gone too far in threatening the use of State force against the students?
That depends, if he believes he is the Prime Minister of a strong
State then no, he was right. But as Italy is a weak State, as the
opposition is no longer the rock-like PCI [1] but the evanescent PD
[2], I’m afraid that his words will not be followed by action and that
Berlusconi will just end up with egg on his face.
What should happen now?
At this point, Maroni [3] should do what I did when I was Home Secretary.
What’s that?
Firstly, forget the high-school students… can you imagine what
would happen if a 10-year-old kid got killed or seriously injured…
Instead, the university students?
Let them get on with it. Withdraw the police from the streets and
the universities, infiltrate the movement with agents provocateurs
ready for anything, and allow the demonstrators to run loose for a week
or so, devastating shops, setting cars on fire and causing havoc in the
streets.
Then what?Then, with public opinion on your side, the sound of
ambulance sirens should drown out the sirens of police and carabinieri
cars.
In the sense that…
In the sense that the forces of law and order should massacre the
demonstrators without pity and send them all to hospital. Not arrest
them – the magistrates would set them free straight away in any
event… beat them bloody and beat the teachers storring them up bloody
too.
The teachers, too?
The teacher above all. Not the older ones, of course… the young
girls. Have you any idea of the seriousness of what’s happening? There
are teachers indoctrinating children and encouraging them to
demonstrate – that’s criminal behaviour!
But you realise what they would say in Europe after something like you suggest? "Fascism returns to Italy", they’d say.
Rubbish, it’s the democratic way – put out the flame before the fire spreads.
What fire?
I’m not exaggerating when I say I truly believe that terrorism will
return to bloody the streets of this country. And I wouldn’t want
people to forget that the Red Brigades (BR) were not born in the
factories but in the universities. And that the slogans they used were
used before them by the Student Movement and the trade union left.
So you think it is possible that history will repeat itself?
It’s not possible, it’s probable. That’s why I’m saying: let’s not
forget that the BR were born because the flame was not put out in time.
Veltroni’s PD is on the side of the demonstrators.
Look, I can’t in all honesty see Veltroni taking to the streets and
risk getting a cracked skull. You’re more likely to see him in some
exclusive club in Chicago, applauding Obama.
He won’t take to the streets with a stick in his hands, sure, but politically…
Politically, he’s making the same mistake that the PCI made when the
troubles [4] started: it backed the movement, deluding itself that it
could control it, but when it too became a target, as was bound to
happen, it soon changed its mind. The so-called hard-line adopted by
Andreotti, Zaccagnini and me was suggested by Berlinguer [5]… But
today we’ve got the PD, an ectoplasm led by another ectoplasm. And
that’s another good reason for Berlusconi to be more prudent.
Translated by nmcn
Translator notes:
1. Italian Communist Party, which changed name and broke up in 1991.
2. Democratic Party, led by Walter Veltroni, formed in 2007 from
the remains of the old PCI together with other centre-left forces.
3. Roberto Maroni (Lega Nord), current Home Minister.
4. The "contestazione", a widespread progressive protest movement which began in the late 1960s.
5. Leader of the PCI from 1972 to 1984.
