Beppe Grillo: the post-populist leader

by Guido Bolaffi - 2013.03.01

Beppe Grillo's post-populist approach sounds the death knell for the old populism that has inflamed or frightened – depending on the points of view – the political life of half of Europe for decades. A novelty related to a small underestimated detail – not so small after all – escaped from the majority.



Compared with traditional movements of protest against the system, indeed, immigration is not even mentioned in the program so massively supported by Italians at the elections. It throws out of the window – no matter if and how much intentionally – the main tool mostly used by populist and propagandist rhetoric to fan the flames of social resentment. Felt by different social sectors and groups, often far from each other, but driven to the 'same boat' by the fear of immigration. This is not only a poisoned issue; on balance, it can ensure achievements as sensational as ephemeral, that the 'earthquake' events of Italian politics seem, perhaps, to condemn it irreversibly off the track. Given that immigration is not in the programmatic firmament of the Five Star movement: water, environment, transport, connectivity and development.



A novelty that is difficult to explain and invokes a reflection, as it marks a real solution of historical continuity with European populism: from the original one of National Front in France and Northern League in Italy to the Freedom Party of Austria, the Dutch Freedom Party, the Flemish Movement, the Swedish Democratic Party, the Swiss People's Party (which triumphed in the referendum against minarets) and so on over the years. So that is all right, then? We'll see. To this day, two things appear clear though.



The first thing: the arrogant disregard reserved for years to populism has been locked up, with it, in a drawer.



The second thing: history teaches that every phenomenon has one feet in the past and one in the future. So, in this case, only events will tell which one of the two will ultimately indicate the track.