Italian politicians are often very theatrical. We’re used to seeing our MPs getting into brawls in parliament, pulling each other’s hair and tearing off their shirts. Over the years, we’ve become used to the corruption and the prostitution scandals.
It’s embarrassing, and each time a new scandal hits the headlines, I feel ashamed of being Italian.
But lately I stumbled on a news story that made me fall off my chair. According to local media reports, a prominent politician, Gianfranco Miccicchè, former leader of Sicily’s regional council, is under investigation for taking his sick cat to the vet in his taxpayer-funded car. He allegedly used the car more than 30 times for “illicit” ends, such as when going out with friends, or even to fetch his iPhone charger.
But there’s more: according to investigators, he is accused of using the car as a “private taxi” to go and buy cocaine. Miccicchè is now confined by the judges to his Sicilian summer beach house, and cannot leave.
Italians have a saying: “If it wasn’t something to cry about, you would laugh out loud.” Well, I have to say this is both a serious matter and also a bit hilarious.
What almost made me choke was the explanation that he gave for taking his beloved kitten to the vet in his chauffeur-driven car, saying the poor animal seemed to be dying and couldn’t breathe. I can imagine his driver’s face when he was told to speed over to the vet, as if it were a “state emergency”.
Whenever I stroll through Rome’s historic centre, the traffic jams are mostly made up of these flashy blue cars carrying a politician who can’t be bothered to walk 100 meters. These cars can go anywhere, and park anywhere. Whenever I’m stuck in traffic looking for a spot to park in, this makes me furious.
However, as long as these cars are used for institutional purposes, there’s not much you can say. But when politicians start using their cars to ferry them to the hairdresser, or out clubbing, or to visit their coke dealer, then it becomes seriously annoying.
Scandals like this should trigger moral outrage – but that’s not the case in my country. Italians are accustomed to seeing their politicians involved in absurd stories, and the worst part is that most don’t really seem to care or become angry, even if public money is being wasted.
It’s like playing a broken record. Nobody is shocked any more, while in my view we should all feel outraged and robbed of our tax money.
There are roughly 30,000 “blue” institutional cars that are used by politicians, both those sitting in parliament and at regional level. Maintenance costs are high. Several premiers in the past have attempted to reduce the number of blue cars, but made little progress.
If the cocaine/cat scandal had happened in another European country, it would have been a major issue. The politician might have immediately stepped down, and there might have been a major outcry from public opinion. But not in Italy.
Ours is a country where everything seems possible and moral, even the worst behaviour from institutional figures who should be setting a good example.
After all, those blue cars belong to the public – maybe we should put them at the disposal of ordinary citizens, who could use them as free taxis. Now that would be a change I could get behind.
Silvia Marchetti is a freelance reporter based in Rome
