For the first time in sixteen years the quorum of 50% + one, necessary for the referendum to be valid, has been exceeded (this time it has gotten to 57%) and the percentage of ‘yes’ to all questions has been more than 90%.
The Berlusconi government has tried until the last moment to prevent or hinder the consultation, first with a fake cancellation of the rules on nuclear power, leaving the possibility to introduce it in a few years, when people would be “less emotional and scared “after the Fukushima tragedy and then asking the voters to stay home and not vote on the these unnecessary referendum. But among the millions of Italians who went to vote there are many right-wing voters, including regional presidents and mayors who have publicly expressed their opposition to nuclear power plants and private water.
In addition to the extraordinary participation in the referendum, the most interesting result of this victory lies in how we reached it: a campaign from the base, with hundreds, thousands of initiatives all over Italy organized by committees and associations (not by Left parties, which with some exceptions participated only at the end), an intense and intelligent use of Internet to produce effective, funny and ironic spots and videos and to circumvent the shameful censorship of television and a playful and irreverent spirit that has made the old politicians in government look even more grim, pathetic and surpassed.
As the campaign for local elections that few weeks ago dealt the first blow to Berlusconi & C with a victory in Turin and Bologna in the first round and Milan, Cagliari and Naples in the second, the protagonists of this new season are the young people. Not only activists, but also creative able to make fun of themselves with hilarious parodies and install everywhere a festive atmosphere, full of commitment and hope not seen in years.
And this is the most exciting thing, which bodes well for the future.
