Ebrius Disputatios

Poverty is increasing in Italy and there are more and more protests that we hear almost nothing about in Germany.

from Anti-Spiegel December 26, 2024

German media are very reluctant to report on social problems and unrest in Western countries because they want to give the impression that the West is still a haven of prosperity and social protection, which is no longer the case when compared to once backward countries. The yellow vests in France are an example that many people will still remember, because at that time the reporting in Germany about the massive, nationwide protests in France that lasted for months was very sparse compared to the scale of the protests.

German media are very reluctant to report on social problems and unrest in Western countries because they want to give the impression that the West is still a haven of prosperity and social protection, which is no longer the case when compared to once backward countries. The yellow vests in France are an example that many people will still remember, because at that time the reporting in Germany about the massive, nationwide protests in France that lasted for months was very sparse compared to the scale of the protests.

Anyone who disputes this should ask themselves how the German media would have reported if, not in France, but in Russia, hundreds of thousands had protested every weekend for months against the government's economic and social policy and rising poverty. Even protests in Russia are worth long articles for Spiegel when “a few dozen” (quote from Spiegel) participants are protesting there.

The Italian correspondent for the Russian news agency TASS has written an article about the economic, social and political situation in Italy, which I think is very interesting because it shows how little German media reports on social and economic problems, even when they affect a country that many Germans know well.

Or have you heard in the German media that, according to Save The Children, 200,000 children under the age of five are malnourished and living in “food poverty” in Italy?

Italy in the invisible fire: What the Meloni government is hiding. about the country's problems that people try not to notice.

Italy is sinking into a series of endless strikes.

Protest actions are announced by workers in very different sectors. The strikes in local transport have already become almost permanent. There are also problems on the state railway, where trains have almost not been running as scheduled since the summer due to repair work. Medical staff are also on strike because, in addition to the constant cuts in healthcare funding, hospital medical staff (until recently hailed as heroes for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic) are increasingly being beaten by violent patients. Workers generally reject the government's budget proposal. This in itself is nothing new, but now there are a number of serious demands and complaints, including dissatisfaction with the increase in military spending.

The majority of Italians are against arms deliveries to Ukraine; recent polls show that only 13 percent believe that deliveries should continue. The unions openly propagate the slogan: “All you have to do is give money for weapons and armaments and raise wages.” There is increasing talk of the “working poor,” meaning that even people with jobs do not have an adequate standard of living while social benefits are constantly being cut.

Added to this are the almost weekly pro-Palestine marches and demonstrations and student unrest, which often lead to clashes with the police, followed by mutual accusations.

All these conditions are creating a situation of acute social tension and confrontation in Italy that has not been seen for a long time.

However, Meloni praises herself.

It was basically predictable when the center-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni came to power. She and her “Brothers of Italy” party are not accepted by a large part of Italian society and many see them as the successors of fascism. As a result, the government is increasingly accused of trying to restrict the right to freedom, including freedom of speech. Elements of censorship and dictatorship are increasingly being seen. In my opinion, however, the latter is generally characteristic of the democracy of the so-called collective West, both on the right and on the left.

Nevertheless, the Italian government is trying, as usual, to turn good fortune into evil. In particular, Meloni boasts of her recognition on the international stage, that is, the stage of strict subordination to the North Atlantic axis. In her own country she is increasingly accused of vassalism. It is noteworthy that she has already received the support of Donald Trump after managing to endear herself to Democrat Joe Biden. It gained recognition in Washington and Brussels by fulfilling demands that Meloni himself once spoke out against in order to protect national sovereignty.

Household from crumbs.

The same applies to the 2025 state budget, which fits into the framework set by the EU but does not take the interests of the people in the country into account.

The problem is that the budget had to be tailored somehow from what little was available, which the government openly admits. The forecasts for economic growth to decline and are approaching zero, and industrial production is declining. Last but not least, the price increase plays a role because energy costs are rising following a significant decline in Russian gas exports. After the unprecedented price increase in August 2022, prices have fallen, but are still two to three times higher than in 2021. And they are unable to completely abandon Russian gas. According to recent data, imports of Russian gas almost doubled from January to August 2024, from 5.5 to 9.7 percent of total demand. However, 40 percent of this was previously covered by deliveries from Russia.

Despite citizens' dissatisfaction, the budget, which is in the final stages of revision and is due to be adopted before the new year, envisages a reallocation of significant resources to defense. Italy is desperately trying to reach the two percent of GDP threshold for military spending that NATO promised a few years ago. So far the country is at 1.57 percent, and it will obviously not be possible to significantly increase this spending before 2028.

Decline in key sectors.

In addition to the education and healthcare sectors, important industrial sectors such as the steel and automotive sectors are particularly affected. The crisis of the former Italian manufacturer Stellantis – what had become the original Italian Fiat after several mergers, including with the American Chrysler – is telling. After enormous losses, sales in Italy fell by more than 40 percent, CEO Carlos Tavares resigned. The car manufacturer, which has always been privately owned (owned by one of the most prominent industrial families, the Agnelli), has benefited from extensive government subsidies and financial injections. Thanks to these subsidies, production is maintained in Italian companies that have long been on the verge of closure. Stellantis itself has relocated to the Netherlands and London for tax and administrative purposes. The biggest mistake, according to the media, was the switch to electric motors under the pressure of the “green transition” imposed by Brussels. Of course, the board and the Agnelli family are by no means impoverished because of the poverty of the workers in the Italian factories of the former Fiat.

The situation is similar in steel production, once one of Italy's leading industries. With an annual turnover of 30 billion euros, a worker's wages do not exceed 1,000 euros. The same applies to the healthcare sector, where there has been a massive migration of skilled workers abroad.

Poverty.

What is particularly telling is that the number of Italians living in absolute poverty in the northern Apennines, the region considered the engine of the Italian economy, has doubled in the last nine years. The latest report from the Catholic charity Caritas shows that the number of poor families rose from 506,000 to almost one million between 2014 and 2023. An increase in poverty is also recorded in the center of the country at 28.6 percent and in the south at 12.1 percent.

5.7 million people live in absolute poverty in Italy, i.e. almost one in ten of the country's citizens. Young families with children remain the most at risk.

Families living in absolute poverty in Italy include those who cannot afford the minimum expenses to ensure an acceptable standard of living. The spending threshold is calculated based on the cost of basic goods and services such as housing, healthcare and clothing. The amount varies depending on where the family lives, the number of members, their age and other factors.

In industrialized Italy, a G7 country (which also includes Great Britain, Germany, France, Canada, Japan and the USA), according to Save The Children, 200,000 children under the age of five are malnourished and live in “food poverty”.

Italy is not a revolutionary country by nature and the scale of the protests is not comparable to such loud movements as the “yellow vests” in France or “Occupy Wall Street” in New York.

But increasing internal social tensions can have unexpected consequences for political stability. The most important result today is a total disillusionment with politics, the loss of orientation and preferences. Already, only 50 percent of the country's total population votes in elections in Italy, and it turns out that the elected leaders enjoy the support of the majority of only this part of the electorate. I come to the conclusion that a large proportion of citizens throughout Italy do not support, do not share and are dissatisfied with the government's policies.