Mario Draghi at the head of the so-called “Government of the best” he lost his magic touch on a Saturday, last one, of underestimation and superficiality. And in the viewfinder there is not only the line of the Interior Ministry, where now, in view of the upcoming events, attempts are made to take cover against the ringing errors: first of all the failure to listen and monitor to grasp the signals of the territory, but also the development of a prevention plan and possibly adequate response in terms of supervision. No, the entire government and those who lead it are in the dock for having clearly miscalculated and not having taken the right measures with respect to the fracture that was opening up within the country. A fracture that risks from tomorrow, the day of entry into force of Green pass to access work, to turn into a chasm.
The ultimatum addressed by the Executive started by the Trieste dockers – “The government will think about it or we will block everything” – can become an avalanche that runs through the whole of Italy from the North, up to the valley and that is to the South. A blockade of the country that even in view of an important meeting like the G20 it should be avoided. And not just for a public order problem. One wonders whether or not the prime minister is able to understand this. Perhaps it is expecting too much from a man accustomed to living among numbers, from an economist who has always moved in the control room, whether it is the Bank of Italy or the ECB. One thing is certain whatever it takes it could have been used to save the euro, but it cannot work if adapted to the daily life of people who get up at dawn every morning and who now have to grapple with new work obstacles.
The line of firmness is fine, which has allowed the premier up to now to “govern” the opposing forces in the enclosure of Palazzo Chigi and to always be able to put the final seal on every meeting of the CDM, but when the living flesh of the people is touched the music changes. The intransigence with which the Government has decided to regulate access to both public and private work, with the mandatory green certificate that will be launched tomorrow, risks turning out to be a boomerang. A serious underestimation error, especially in light of the signs of mounting tension in the country.
With the G20 at the door, in short, not really a good business card for this Executive. Rome will also be armored for the appointment of 30 and 31 October, between red zones and airspace under control, but the security measures will certainly not be able to stem a possible blockage of supplies with consequent rationing of petrol and empty shelves in supermarkets (given that most of the goods travel by road and most transporters do not have a Green pass). In short, the risk is to lose harmony with the country. And the signs are all there. The hiatus that is widening with the citizens and that, paradoxically, at the time of the mistreatment Count 2 had not seen. Yet, the Covid emergency had taken everyone by surprise. But despite the initial unpreparedness to bear the brunt, despite the heavy lockdown with entire categories of workers left out of work and with not always timely support, never had such a deep social split been touched.
The crux here is not the vaccines. It is clear that they are the only weapon we have in the fight against Covid and for the recovery of the economy. The short circuit, if anything, was created by not making them mandatory. The numbers of the vaccination campaign conducted by Commissioner Figliuolo are also complicit. But if vaccination, by decision of the entire government, has remained optional – therefore every citizen can exercise the right to undergo the injection or not -, then what is the rationale on the basis of which the executive has decided to penalize workers without of Green pass, ending up damaging the constitutional right to work?
The truth is that the d-Day on Friday 15 October was unprepared. The rules for public and private workers, with the obligation to have a vaccine or negative buffer, leave various issues open and unresolved, starting with the controls for some categories. The case of home helps and carers remains among the most striking, as Affaritaliani has reported right away.
Not to mention, finally, that Italy, which is today the most pro-European ever, on regulations for workers, Greece apart, is the furthest away from other EU countries. Despite boasting high vaccination rates (with 80 percent of the population immunized, the safety threshold of 90 is now being aimed). Indeed, in some cases, as in France, there is discussion about the abolition of the health pass as early as November 15. Not to mention Denmark which has already canceled all pass obligations. All that remains, therefore, is to hope for an act of resipiscence on the part of Draghi. The signals, after the meeting with the trade unions today, perhaps open some glimmers. Of course, a possible patch would be needed now. Only on timeliness, the government can try to save what can be saved.