Carlo Verdone in the role of Pasquale Ametrano, emigrated to Germany who returns to vote in Italy (“Bianco, rosso e Verdone”, 1981)
Elections 2022: away from office without the right to vote, we remained in the reality described in the old film by Carlo Verdone
The parties are feverishly chasing the vote of the Italians … and then they leave well five million “frozen” voters unable to express their opinion. Istat data photograph the particular situation of Offsitea population made up of students and workers who live outside their municipality of residence and who therefore will not be able to vote on the policies of 25 September.
The law is as clear as it is paradoxical: an Italian who lives abroad (even temporarily) has the right to vote by correspondence, but those who remain within the national territory do not. Let’s imagine the case of two Sicilian brothers, one emigrated to New York and the other to Milan: the first can vote, the second doesn’t have the same chance!
The second, as well as all the out-of-office in Italy, to vote he must return to his town of residence and, to facilitate travel, special discounts are offered on trains and airplanes, ranging up to 60-70% of the full ticket price. A good help, but still not enough: just think of those who no longer have a home and relatives in the city of origin and therefore must provide for an overnight stay, if very far away, or those who cannot move away from their current home, perhaps because works in shifts or because it is a university under examination session (and on September 25 there will be really many struggling with books).
Curiously, there are only three European countries that force their citizens into these electoral exodus: in addition to Italy, there are Cyprus and Malta, but these are two small islands on which mobility is not prohibitive. Italy, on the other hand, extends for about 1300 km from north and south and has stood still more than forty years ago, with the adventurous journeys to the polling booth of Pasquale Ametrano and the other protagonists described by Carlo Verdone in his cult film “White, Red and Verdone” (1981).
The group most affected by this real discrimination is the one included between 18 and 35 years, the famous “young people” of whom we often complain of apathy and lack of interest in political life. Not that much is being done to help them, however.
But the problem isn’t limited to them. Abstention was 28% in the 2018 elections. In the double referendum-administrative round of last June it surged reaching peaks of 80%. For September 25, a less striking figure is expected, but still growing compared to 2018 and, therefore, effectively preventing five million people from voting is at odds with the invitations to participate that also come from the outgoing Premier Mario Draghi. Pasquale Ametrano concluded his via crucis with an epic outburst in front of the terrified electoral commission, his compatriots today will simply stay at home, in spite of democracy.
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