by Br. Alexis Bugnolo

Italy is ripe for an Orange Revolution. I make his assessment on a panoply of facts which are showing themselves in every sector of daily life.

The widespread discontent to the Corona Control imposed by Giuseppe Conte’s Left-wing government has burst into open anger and rage since the announcement of his Phase 2 Corona Controls which will destroy the small business class of Italy and prevent Italians from returning to the daily life and activities of normal existence, in some cases, for an indefinite period: wearing of masks, mandatory vaccines, use of apps to track citizens, prohibition of travel to home towns for the holidays, end of public schooling.

Their patience is gone and there seems nothing to stop, now, the tides moving in the direction of open political revolution.

Here are some observations I have made which argue toward this:

First, the Italian police forces, both the Carabinieri and the State Police, no longer long display any eagerness to enforce the decrees against movement or gatherings. Members of the Carabinieri are openly expressing themselves as against the Corona Controls and the Government. When they hear a citizen shares these views they are even more friendly, not antagonistic. To my knowledge, this attitude is widespread also in the Italian Military.

This means that if any political protests breakout, the forces of public order are not likely to intervene to prevent the Citizenry from defending itself.

Second, Italians have begun to defy the controls with indifference. There are daily more and more persons on the street who no longer have fear of the police.

Third, it is now an every day experience that one hears Italians denouncing the Government for acting unconstitutionally. This is a very remarkable development, because Italians by custom never speak about politics in public. To do so is seen as risking social relationships which might be needed in times of want. So when Italians do this, it is a sign that they have lost all hope that the Government wants to help them and are convinced that the Government is not only an enemy, but an intolerable enemy.

Fourth, the Government has alienated about every part of society as much as they possibly can. They still refuse the advances of the Bishop’s conference for religious services for Catholics. They still have refused to give any date for the reopening of barbers, salons and clothing stores.  For Italians who take extreme care of their personal experience, the idea of going without new clothes or a haircut for an unspecified period of time is insufferable.

Finally, Merchants and businessmen are showing a determined opposition to the Corona Controls. There have not only been strong push backs from the Industrial sector but also from the national labor unions. Even individual proprietors have begun to turn their lights on their business signs, even in cases where their businesses are not allowed to open. They want everyone to know that they have not surrendered or given up.

Brigadier General Pappalardo’s call for an Orange Revolution at the end of May, therefore, will in my judgement gain growing support as the month passes. He is calling for mass demonstrations in the capitals of each of the Regions on May 30, and on May 31 a massive demonstration at Rome to drive the government from power. Being a former leading commander in the National Police of the Carabinieri, he is garnering a lot of support from precisely those sectors who alone could be used by the government to stop it.

For this reason, I think we are about to see a momentous political change in Italy in the next 6 weeks. An Orange Revolution which can now only be adverted by the capitulation of the government of Giuseppe Conte, either on principles, or in actual effect, that is, resignation and a call for new popular elections for Parliament. Failing that, violence, political or physical, seems now inevitable for Italy.

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CREDITS: The Featured Image is of the Orange Revolution in Kiev, Ukraine, on November 22, 2004. It is used here in accord with a Creative Commons Share-Alike 3.0 license, as deascribed, here.

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