Conservatives or sovereignists? Especially in relation to the evolution of the Italian Right. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni seems to be gradually following a path that can lead her towards healthy conservatism. Perhaps the transition from what was a basically sovereignist imprint to a substantially conservative one is a sort of political and cultural transubstantiation. Of course, sovereignist impulses remain here and there in Fratelli d’Italia, which show how much Meloni seems to be a step ahead of her party. But the true sovereignist is Salvini, especially in recent months, who is trying to occupy a space to the right of Meloni, who has, instead, fully assumed the role of “premier”.
I say “premier” not by chance because it seems to me that in light of the actual institutional balance in place (Parliament has never been so weak as in the last phase), President Meloni finds himself in a condition of “de facto prime minister”.
A role that favors this transubstantiation towards conservatism. But to better understand these processes, political culture can be of considerable help. Perhaps Meloni – apart from the aspects of his international action – could connect to some strands of the best Italian conservatism. It is no coincidence that a minister and man of culture like Gennaro Sangiuliano has recently published a beautiful and significant book on Prezzolini («Giuseppe Prezzolini. The conservative anarchist» published by Mondadori). Also showing the most significant aspects of the experience of La Voce, of which Prezzolini together with Giovanni Papini was one of the main exponents.
A conservative far from any conformism, with a European intellectual approach full of ideas and suggestions for the present and the future. Precisely that type of conservatism that Meloni has tried to relaunch in recent days from Pescara, free, innovative and European. The recovery of Prezzolini’s conservatism could be an antidote against the too widespread political chatter and against certain populist exaggerations of the current Salvini (who brings into play the current Vannacci…). Against rampant presentism and its numerous catchphrases. A humanistic, realistic, pragmatic conservatism, open to the challenges of the future, because, as Prezzolini writes in his Conservative Manifesto, the true conservative «takes care not to confuse himself with the reactionaries, the retrogrades, the traditionalists, the nostalgics» because he intends to conserve and innovate.
I believe that we could connect precisely to that thread connected to Papini’s Voice and the figure of Prezzolini to take another step forward towards that transubstantiation from sovereignists to conservatives that is more necessary than ever. Even Thatcher, after all, despite being an innovator, was linked to the best strands of political culture of English conservatism. Prezzolini is a figure of an intellectual-mine (a little more than Tolkien…), in which one can grasp unique nuggets of culture and political culture. Perhaps Prezzolini is a buoy to which the best Italian right can latch as a function of the evolution towards that healthy conservatism relaunched by Meloni also at the Pescara convention. Gianfranco Fini, for example, had alongside him figures such as the political science professor and conservative intellectual, Domenico Fisichella, who coincidentally was a columnist for Tempo. Perhaps for these reasons it is also appropriate for Meloni and for the interests of the country to accumulate a healthy pool of conservative political culture. As well as greater attention to those too many who have jumped on, or are trying to jump on, his bandwagon and to some diehard sovereignists who bring with them…
#sovereignists #conservatives #Tempo
2024-05-02 03:48:44