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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Italy tales: 'We are a smiling, hopeless country' | Italy tales: 'We are a smiling, hopeless country' |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| So many of you have written in with your thoughts; thank you to everyone. I can't publish them all, but here's a selection of people with very different voting intentions and preferences. | So many of you have written in with your thoughts; thank you to everyone. I can't publish them all, but here's a selection of people with very different voting intentions and preferences. |
| Alessandra Terzi, Genova | Alessandra Terzi, Genova |
| "We are a smiling, hopeless country. Not in terms of people: from this point of view we are better than others because we have culturally been used to fighting against an enormous amount of stupid daily problems such as parking, waiting at post offices, hospitals not working, basic public services not working, public transportation not working. Every day we wake up and already know that during the day we will have to fight against something stupid, but time and energy consuming … if you deal with the rest of the world in your job, you have to prove that you are professional. It is not taken for granted like it is with Germans, for example. You have to excel, otherwise you are perceived as part of the country of great landscape and good cooking but also of mafia and corruption, which is, sad to say, partially true. We are creative, brilliant, extremely quick-witted and obstinate, culturally open-minded and ready to face any kind of unforeseen event. | "We are a smiling, hopeless country. Not in terms of people: from this point of view we are better than others because we have culturally been used to fighting against an enormous amount of stupid daily problems such as parking, waiting at post offices, hospitals not working, basic public services not working, public transportation not working. Every day we wake up and already know that during the day we will have to fight against something stupid, but time and energy consuming … if you deal with the rest of the world in your job, you have to prove that you are professional. It is not taken for granted like it is with Germans, for example. You have to excel, otherwise you are perceived as part of the country of great landscape and good cooking but also of mafia and corruption, which is, sad to say, partially true. We are creative, brilliant, extremely quick-witted and obstinate, culturally open-minded and ready to face any kind of unforeseen event. |
| But we are also hopeless. When we had the chance to change our future, and I mean when Matteo Renzi was running to become the candidate for the centre-left Partito Democratico, the majority of Italians chose the old regime and voted for Pier Luigi Bersani. That to me was a crucial choice that will leave us again with a hopeless bunch of old, corrupt and "smoke seller" class of politicians. | But we are also hopeless. When we had the chance to change our future, and I mean when Matteo Renzi was running to become the candidate for the centre-left Partito Democratico, the majority of Italians chose the old regime and voted for Pier Luigi Bersani. That to me was a crucial choice that will leave us again with a hopeless bunch of old, corrupt and "smoke seller" class of politicians. |
| I voted for Silvio Berlusconi in the past but this time no one from the main parties is worthy of a vote. | I voted for Silvio Berlusconi in the past but this time no one from the main parties is worthy of a vote. |
| I will vote for Oscar Giannino, I am not even sure that he will get 4% but at least this time I want to vote for someone professional, with a solid background, who believes in what they are doing and still keeps a hope and a smile for this hopeless country. | I will vote for Oscar Giannino, I am not even sure that he will get 4% but at least this time I want to vote for someone professional, with a solid background, who believes in what they are doing and still keeps a hope and a smile for this hopeless country. |
| Rinaldo Cristofori | Rinaldo Cristofori |
| "There are two issues no one is seriously tackling, neither the media nor the politicians. | "There are two issues no one is seriously tackling, neither the media nor the politicians. |
| The first is the danger that the Five Star Movement (M5S) represents. How do you rule a country when there is no real cohesive agenda or idea? The risk of paralysing an already inefficient parliament is just around the corner. I personally think our neighbours should know what the M5S really is. | The first is the danger that the Five Star Movement (M5S) represents. How do you rule a country when there is no real cohesive agenda or idea? The risk of paralysing an already inefficient parliament is just around the corner. I personally think our neighbours should know what the M5S really is. |
| The second issue seems to be avoided by everyone: unemployment, especially for my generation (25-35). There is also the condition of our universities, but then again, I guess no one wants to deal with that … so probably it is not a real issue for our politicians. | The second issue seems to be avoided by everyone: unemployment, especially for my generation (25-35). There is also the condition of our universities, but then again, I guess no one wants to deal with that … so probably it is not a real issue for our politicians. |
| Personally I am trying to run away from this country. And I have no idea for whom I will vote next week: there is no real new face, no real new choice, and no real proposals to solve problems. So I guess I'll either stay home or do what celebrated Italian journalist Indro Montanelli used to say: cover your nose and vote Christian Democrat (in this case Mario Monti)." | Personally I am trying to run away from this country. And I have no idea for whom I will vote next week: there is no real new face, no real new choice, and no real proposals to solve problems. So I guess I'll either stay home or do what celebrated Italian journalist Indro Montanelli used to say: cover your nose and vote Christian Democrat (in this case Mario Monti)." |
| Andrea Ercolino, 16, Rome | Andrea Ercolino, 16, Rome |
| "My family (just like any other family) is scared of the outcome. Berlusconi's party is out of the question, he wants to destroy everything Monti has done in the past year. I support Monti because I see in him the only honest politician in the entire parliament. Unfortunately he is not loved by older people and thus he loses votes in favour of Berlusconi's stupid electoral promises. | "My family (just like any other family) is scared of the outcome. Berlusconi's party is out of the question, he wants to destroy everything Monti has done in the past year. I support Monti because I see in him the only honest politician in the entire parliament. Unfortunately he is not loved by older people and thus he loses votes in favour of Berlusconi's stupid electoral promises. |
| With all the scandals going on, politicians are not seen as the good guys anymore; they are instead seen as evil gods that take care of everything that is in their interest, totally forgetting about the population. If Berlusconi wins again I don't see any other reason for Italians to stay in Italy. On the other hand, if the left or the centre parties win, how long will the Italians stand the austerity and budget cuts that they will face in the next government?" | With all the scandals going on, politicians are not seen as the good guys anymore; they are instead seen as evil gods that take care of everything that is in their interest, totally forgetting about the population. If Berlusconi wins again I don't see any other reason for Italians to stay in Italy. On the other hand, if the left or the centre parties win, how long will the Italians stand the austerity and budget cuts that they will face in the next government?" |
| • Thank you to everyone who got in touch, and do keep your suggestions coming. Along the way I'll be tweeting interviews and other posts using the hashtag #StoriedItalia2013. | • Thank you to everyone who got in touch, and do keep your suggestions coming. Along the way I'll be tweeting interviews and other posts using the hashtag #StoriedItalia2013. |
| You can contact me on Twitter at @lizzy_davies or by email at lizzy.davies@guardian.co.uk. | You can contact me on Twitter at @lizzy_davies or by email at lizzy.davies@guardian.co.uk. |
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