NAPLES -- The South! My dear land, the passion of my soul, I am a southern man. Land of tradition and culture, of music and colour, of sun, of torment, of tears of love. A land of people who know how to live and how to survive, who know how to fight and resist. Yet, a land that is condemned and doomed to disaster by those who do not know what the south represents: energy potential, explosive and positive, creativity, professionalism and a desire for redemption, ready to take off towards the achievement of labour, financial, economic, financial, cultural and artistic development. All of this if only they would allow it! 

   Italian politics is a true obstacle for the South: a government which treads on the South is not fit to govern, especially if it believes that Italy, and even more so the South, should act only as a sounding board for ruthless cowboys. I cannot and do not want to hear, from our senior politicians, words that increasingly pit the North and the South against each other. How is it possible that there are still those who deem is possible to degrade and defraud, my, our, beloved South? I can only think that the government that is leading us is a cruel enemy of our land. Just consider the fact that all of the South is completely excluded from the cohesion pact; not to mention differentiated autonomy - a pressing and delicate topic - that the Meloni government would like to think of as a salvation process for the South. But where do they live? What is their perception of our nation? Do they not know that with differentiated autonomy all of the most essential rights would be destroyed. Every man of the South would see the already precarious ability to live with dignity and satisfaction of their basic needs diminish. Healthcare, economic development, social and civil enhancement, the spread of art and culture would be relegated back to square one, approaching that of animality and a savage state. I have neither the words nor the thoughts that can justify such an attitude. 

  If I must continue to live in this country, the only idea that comes to me is that the South should completely sever itself from the rest of Italy: must it be autonomous, like the government promotes? Then so be it. Let the South return to pre-unification times. Let Italy reinstate the old borders of our land so that it may be reborn and experience other springs. Let it rise again! 

  I report a fragment of what I wrote to the honourable Mr Grancia: “Not a day goes past in which one hears policies and controversy in the news that pits the North and South against each other. Personally, I do not believe in the Unity of Italy as a concept. Wouldn’t it be better to divide us and thus each one of us lives as they want in their own land? Maybe us from the south can finally have government spending, set infrastructure, greater autonomy in establishing relationships with the Mediterranean. Let’s stop chasing our tails like dogs. The idle, thieving South… in the long run it starts to become bothersome. Forgive me, right honourable gentleman, but it is starting to become bothersome.” 

  Stop. I have had enough, we have had enough! We are able to reorganise ourselves, to take all of our strength and turn it into precious living matter. The South loves itself. It would love all of Italy if those who decide and are in the driving seat manage to have a unitary thought and a programme of action which also includes the South. 

MY SOUTH 

I love the moon 

because from my homeland

I can observe it 

even in winter. 

So in winter 

I can see 

the thousand and thousand horizons 

that seep through the universe. 

Other lands…less fortunate

unfortunately 

would not be able to see them

not even if they paid.

ft