“Sovranismo” it is the term that more than any other has characterized Italian politics in 2018 and precisely on the days in which the most important sovereignist government in Europe gives way to European constraints, Formiche.net interviews Paolo Becchi, author of “Sovereign Italy” just arrived in bookstores.
“European populisms were born because individual national states no longer recognize themselves within the European Union and claim higher margins of sovereignty”. The prof. Paolo Becchi thus explains the transition from populism to sovereignism in Europe.
Becchi dedicated his latest book to Italian-style sovereignism, “Sovereign Italy”, published by Sperling & copper, and curiously presented in the Sala del Carroccio in the Senatorial palace of the Campidoglio.
“Sovereignty” is the term that more than any other has characterized Italian politics in 2018 and “Sovereign Italy” arrives in bookstores precisely on the days in which the most important sovereignist government in Europe gives way to European constraints. Just an episodic setback or something deeper?
Of sovereignty, sovereignty and the European Union we spoke with the professor at the end of the presentation of his book.
Prof. Becchi because national states are back in the news?
Because that globalist model that seemed to have definitively defeated any type of diversity has entered into crisis, Cosmopolitanism and the idea of ​​living in a global village have been defeated. We realized that we are all different, we noticed this in Europe and here the idea of ​​the nation was reborn. This new wave of nationalism is a criticism of the neoliberal model that had developed and which had produced globalization as the end of history. But this process of globalization was not able to satisfy the need for belonging that individuals have and will never lose.
The European Union has not been able to create a feeling of belonging?
No, there is no European people, even less a global people. Cosmopolitanism is over, let's say he won Hegel and he lost Kant.
You believe in the sovereignist character of the League and the M5S?
And, right. The first is of an identity nature, the other is of a social nature. Today, but, after the approval of the maneuver that respects the diktats imposed by the EU there is a setback because the external constraint against the national interest has won. But if a battle has been lost it does not mean that the war should be suspended. The journey did not stop, or at least I hope so. We will have to see what happens with the European elections.
What does he mean?
I mean that with a maneuver of this kind I don't know if the government will be able to achieve the objectives it has set itself. I see many difficulties for citizenship income, a little less for the modification of the Fornero law. In my opinion, if the citizen's income is not implemented, the government will go into crisis.
Speaking of the next European elections, how do you imagine a European Parliament with a large sovereignist patrol.
The European Parliament has the responsibility to give a confirmation vote to the European Commissioner. Until now the game has been played between the People's Party and the Socialist Party. A good affirmation of the sovereignist forces would create a third pole which could bring many difficulties within the European institutions and have influences on the appointment of the President of the Commission, the most important organ. In short, they could make a difference.
According to her, European sovereignists really want to undermine the European Union?
No, no one intends to destroy Europe which remains fundamental for everyone, we need to understand what type of Europe we want. I believe that this process that began with Maastricht is exhausted, we can start again from the Treaties of Rome and a confederation of states and not continue with the creation of a European federal state, I believe this is impossible.
You said that elites only fight other elites. If you had to give advice to the Italian sovereignist forces so as not to be crushed by the existing elites, what would you suggest??
I would suggest trying to create a pool of people who can serve in a political dialectic of this type.
Can you give me an example?
When Forza Italia was born in the 1990s, Berlusconi brought into his project important figures such as Lucio Colletti, Vittorio Mathieu, the best of the intelligence of the time ended up in Forza Italia and a pool of people who had the capacity for ideological elaboration was created. Some also came from the left, like Lucio Colletti. A new magazine was also created, Ideation.
Rousseau was meant to provide training.
Rousseau would have considerable potential, however, as far as I know, it is not used to this extent to create political debates, It seems to me that from this point of view it is still in its infancy. Rousseau is mainly used for voting, I saw the real discussion online at the time of Gianroberto Casaleggio when there was no Rousseau yet but there was much more dialogue.
However, the League has a real political training school.
Yes, the party school of the League is more traditional. As far as I know, but, it works above all on an economic level, they provide training on flat tax issues and other economic issues. There is no high-level political school. The truth is, you can't get by with photos of your pizza dinner to show that you're popular. From a communication point of view this is fine but it is not enough, something more needs to be created.
What they should do?
Create a counter-elite. Bossi's League had Gianfranco Miglio, Today I don't see this group of intellectuals capable of creating an elite. Indeed, they actually try to say that they don't want to have elites. The thesis of my book is that this is wrong because a counter-elite would be necessary. The existence of a counter-elite would have made it possible today not to have the results we had in Europe.
Il Financial Times elected Soros as man of the year, it is an elite response to criticism of the tycoon in Europe and the USA?
Oh well, I would say yes, he is the man par excellence of the elite. I prefer what he did Orban, driving him out of Hungary and closing his university.
source: https://formiche.net/2018/12/sovranismi-contro-elite-parla-becchi/