Op-Ed: Fear and Loathing in Rome, as Italy Embraces Fascism Again

Silvio Berlusconi's reelection as Italian leader earlier this year has seen the rampant spread of neo-fascist language, politics and emotion - as well as spiralling violence and racism .

No one has seen more evidence of this than the Roma, or Gypsy, community. Less than two weeks ago two Roma children drowned near Naples, their bodies were washed to a beach full of sunbathers. Their reaction? Nothing. The bodies - both pre-teen girls - lay there for an hour until police came to remove them. This anecdotal incident is one of the more dramatic examples of the rise of extremism in Italy. In a move compared to the tagging of Jews the Nazis all Roma must now have their fingerprints taken by police, to create a full catalogue of all all Gypsies in Italy. Under EU law such racial policies are illegal, but no leader is willing to question Italy's megalomanic leader. The move got through court because Italy's highest appeal court ruled that it was acceptable to discriminate against Roma on the grounds that "all Gypsies were thieves". The criminalisation of the Roma now has legal authority. In May an unverified rumour that a Roma had stolen a baby in Naples began a violent, mob-led assault on all things Romany in the area. Caravans were torched, innocents attacked with iron bars and the many of the shanty-towns that the Roma are forced to live in were destroyed. Interior minister Roberto Maroni reaction was: "This is what happens when Gypsies steal babies". As worryingly, the newly elected Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, has strong fascist links. He was heralded with cries of "Duce, Duce!" and fascist salutes at his victory speech at the Campidoglio - the exact spot Mussolini where was welcomed in exactly the same way on his election. Berlusconi has borrowed the name of the popular Spanish fascist party of the 1930's in speeches. On a walkabout, in which most politicians would shake hands and kiss babies, Gianfranco Fini received rapturous applause for checking the permits of immigrants. Berlusconi has swept the weak centre-left coalition from government, and such was their incompetence that somebody had to. However the criminality assigned to the Roma is largely make believe, and criminality is bred by poverty. This is blatant scapegoating and an equally blatant appeal to the most base instincts of a nation who for years have suffered from corrupt and ineffective leadership (often under Berlusconi himself). Fascism is undoubtedly popular to a nation that has seen little benefit from democracy. It presided over 23 important years of Italian history, where, unlike recent years, politics and economics 'worked', in their way. The leaders of the EU need to stand up to Berlusconi, who already has dictatorial control of the media and politics. They also need to show the power of democracy. A carrot and stick approach, attempting to fix some of Italy's socio-economic problems in exchange for upholding the human rights act needs to begin soon.