Hello Friends,
I subscribe to a few Substacks from people I follow in Italy and came across one that I thought, in the light of the French riots, would be worth sharing. I’m not sure if you’ve heard about the growing strikes in Italy as much of it hasn’t been reported so far but it appears that is about to change.
There have been protests and riots in Bologna and Milan sparking violent clashes with police over God knows what but meanwhile, major protests led by truck drivers and farmers have been underway throughout southern Italy with almost no coverage abroad. The Italian ‘Financial Times’ reported that “Italy is facing a shortage of fresh buffalo mozzarella after nearly a week of highway blockades by truck drivers disrupting milk deliveries.”
According to this person however, this was a silly article because supermarkets throughout southern Italy, all the way up to Rome, are empty of everything…not just mozzarella, and people are waiting in line for gas, which is in short supply. I was living in Boulder Creek in Northern California in the early 80’s and remember having to wait in line odd and even days to get gas.
This writer goes on to say that they are just fine with plenty of food and safety isn’t even a vague concern, but he felt it was important to share what’s happening there because it matters for the rest of the world. Italy may not seem like a major player on the international chess board right now, but if you remember….COVID first hit Europe in Italy. (I remember well watching the hauntingly beautiful video of the young kid playing Ennio Morricone’s ‘Deborah’s Theme’ on his guitar from a rooftop overlooking a deserted Piazza in Rome in an attempt to lift the spirits of the confined and frightened citizens. It still brings tears to my eyes whenever a listen to it…) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEjaip1ePYM
The trucker’s stoppage began in Sicily on October 6th, after diesel prices jumped when the fixed excise discount ended on that date. Bakers in the area also started closing shops over the price of raw material and pressure from large retailers. Additionally, the price of olive oil has dropped to half of what it was a year ago due to cheaper imported oil and so the farmers have now joined the truckers in the strike. Supermarkets across southern Italy have been empty for over a week and the writer said that a friend of his in Florence had no idea what was happening in the south because few in central part of the country, which connect the two disparate regions of the country, are not reporting on it for whatever reason. Yet, there was extensive reporting on fear and outrage over the looting in Milan.
The write went on to say that when he was discussing the Italian economy with a friend in Milan he told him that Italians, in general, are absolutely ashamed of their economic situation and low salaries but they don’t protest like the French; they always try to keep their ‘bella figura’…beautiful figure.
In closing he said he finds it both brave and refreshing that the truckers and farmers are directly calling out what everyone is experiencing but that
working people simply can’t keep absorbing this ‘caro vita’.
I for one will be closely watching what happens going forward.
Ciao
David & Tino
