25 Luglio 1943 - 25 Luglio 2013

In questo stesso giorno di 70 anni fa, il Gran Consiglio del Fascismo voto' l'ordine del giorno Grandi; Benito Mussolini viene fu arrestato a Villa Savoia e sostituito al governo da Pietro Badoglio. Il fascismo come regime di stato poteva dirsi finalmente concluso, ma fu vera gloria? Non credo, mi pare semplicemente una delle tante manifestazioni del malcostume italico di sputare nel piatto in cui si e' lautamente mangiato, con la speranza di rifarsi una verginità e riciclarsi nel nuovo sistema. Un po' il vecchio gioco del trasformismo che ritroviamo in quella stessa meravigliosa città eterna in questo caldo 25 Luglio 2013. PD e PDL tutti insieme appassionatamente (spirit of bicamerale revival) senza essere mai stati veramente antagonisti; un PdR che ha giocato e sta giocando un ruolo ambiguo e che egli stesso ha mostrato in prima persona come si possano disinvoltamente percorrere tutti i sentieri dell'Assolutismo del XX/XXI secolo; dai GUF al PCI del Cominform fino alla senile "Presidenza Reale" dell'ultima fase del suo primo e che sta onorando anche in questo malaugurato secondo mandato, indubbiamente dovuto a cause contingenti ma di certo anche facilitato da una naturale predisposizione (i maligni dicono genetica, ma potrebbe essere anche l'atmosfera del Quirinale che fu dei Papi o la pressione di cattivi consiglieri). No, come non credo che 70 anni fa si potesse tracciare una linea netta fra i "buoni" che votarono l'ODG grandi ed i "cattivi", non credo lo si possa fare neppure oggi; non chiedetemi di scegliere fra l'oscenità eretta a sistema di governo dell'uomo di Arcore e l'ipocrisia rivoltante del PD di governo! Nell'Italia di Schettino e delle rettifiche alle smentite, del tragicomico affaire Kazako e di mille altre quotidiane meschinità, la figura certamente più rappresentava del 25 luglio 1943 vera fonte di ispirazione per il disastro odierno e' senza dubbio la figura di Tullio Cianetti ... un uomo per tutte le stagioni e che abbraccia tutte le definizioni possibili: fascista/di sinistra/sindacalista/filotedesco/etc etc ... voto' l'ODG Grandi, si scuso' il giorno dopo con Mussolini, evito' il plotone di esecuzione al processo di Verona e dopo la guerra la fece franca scappando in Mozambico ... neppure il presidente operaio avrebbe saputo fare meglio!

Breve considerazione sulla vicenda del ministro Josefa Idem

La vicenda di Josefa Idem e più ancora il "perdono" di Letta alla suddetta, rivela ancora una volta, se ce ne fosse bisogno, che il metro "dell'appartenenza" per definire il livello di moralità di una persona non e' più appannaggio esclusivo delle subculture mafiose ma si e' diffuso ormai nei gangli vitali della società un tempo considerati "rispettabili".

Demonstrations in Turkey not necessarily a cause for celebration

I just received this contribution from my friend Praxoula Antoniadou Kyriacou

Former Minister of Energy of Cyprus and appreciated colleague at ALDE Council.

Thansk for your consideration and comments.

Massimo Bernacconi

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Demonstrations in Turkey not necessarily a cause for celebration

Demonstrations in Turkey are not necessarily a cause for celebration -and this is especially true for Cyprus.

It goes of course without saying that any measures limiting human freedoms and human rights should be condemned and reactions to such measures by citizens in Turkey seem justified. In any case, respect of human rights is a primary consideration in the annual progress reports prepared by the European Commission for Turkey and the reports repeatedly call upon the Turkish government to proceed to reforms that will strengthen respect of human rights in the country.

It would however be unfortunate to restrict one’s analysis to the conclusion that what we currently witness in the streets of  Istanbul is the reaction of Turkish citizens to religious oppression and that this may be the beginning  of the end for the government of Prime Minister Erdoğan.

What seems to be actually taking place in Turkey is the attempt on behalf of the Kemalist opposition to exploit Erdoğan ’s insistence on introducing more religious elements in the country’s life and legislation. And certainly no person preaching democracy and liberalism can agree with measures that limit personal freedom.

Beyond however the surface, what seems to be really bothering the old establishment in Turkey is the fact that Erdoğan has managed over the years to diminish the power, influence and control of the army in the country. And those of us who are older remember that former Kemalist governments had been basing their control of power on their cooperation with the military. And of course at those times human rights were again being violated -though violation concerned a different group of individuals.

Prime Minister Erdoğan has recently succeeded to reach an agreement with the Curds leading to the solution of the Kurdish problem. He has also managed to bring the Turkish economy to its feet and to healthy growth. He has won the respect and confidence of partners in Europe and internationally that Turkey under his government can serve as a pole of stability and peace in the area of the Eastern Mediterranean. In other words, both today’s opposition who represent the old Kemalist establishment- as well as the army seem to be increasingly losing control; and they had to do something to regain such control. They thus concentrated on their opponent’s weakness which are his efforts to make his Ιslamic identity a way of life for more.

In Cyprus, it is very important to remember that the Turkish invasion of 1974 was not conducted by Erdoğan or by some Islamic party. The invasion took place when Turkey was being run by Kemalist politicians in harmonious cooperation with the military. The implementation of expansionary Turkish policies was effected by a Kemalist establishment.

Today, to the extent that the current Turkish government of Prime Minister Erdoğan  has embarked on a course of a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem –following success with efforts to resolve the Kurdish problem- any weakening of Erdoğan’s political influence would undermine prospects for the reunification of Cyprus.

Those of us who really care about peace, cooperation and prosperity in the area of the Eastern Mediterranean should encourage Prime Minister Ertogan to strengthen his Liberal self so that Turkey can further proceed to the road of Democracy, peaceful resolution of problems and of peaceful regional cooperation, rather than regress to the times of military control under the face of a Kemalist Government.

Praxoula Antoniadou Kyriacou

Former Minister of Energy of Cyprus

President of United Democrats

Member party of Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party