In a speech that sparked much debate, Helio Vitoformer Forza Italia MP, launched a heartfelt appeal to the party leaders, and in particular to the children of Silvio Berlusconiso that they seriously reflect on the future of the political movement. In his letter, published on the Huffington Post website, Vito highlights the crossroads that Forza Italia faces today: continue to distinguish itself only in words from its allies, perhaps drawing a small electoral advantage from it, but remaining tied to a government alliance that, according to him, will not lead to concrete results, or take the courageous decision to break with the current coalition.
Vito openly challenges the party to seize what it calls ahistoric occasion to put aside vested interests, whether personal or government, and to privilege the general interests of the country. According to the former parliamentarian, this could represent a definitive denial to those who have always accused Berlusconi of having entered politics to defend his own personal interests. “If you want to, if you want to defend national interests today, you need to take note that they do not coincide with this government alliance, with this right and with this government, which is causing Italy to lose credibility, in Europe and in the world”, he writes Vito.
The premise of this intervention is the belief that Forza Italia can still play a decisive role in Italian and European politics, but only if it adopts a different attitude compared to its government allies. Vito recognises that, on some recent issues, such as overcrowding in prisons and the ius scholaethe party has shown signs of differentiation, but warns that, apart from some visibility, it will not gain anything concrete from its current allies.
Second Vitothe distance between Forza Italia and its government partners, Brothers of Italy And Alloyis now too big to continue to govern together. He describes the two parties as expressions of an “extreme, anti-European, justicial, reactionary, authoritarian, statist and repressive” right, with non-minority fringes that promote “homophobic, racist, patriarchal, nationalist, anti-scientific and conspiratorial” ideas. All this is in stark contrast to the pro-European, liberal and tolerant vision that Berlusconi had for Forza Italia.
The intervention of Helio Vito represents a severe criticism and an invitation to reflect deeply on the future of the party, emphasizing the need to reconsider the current political position and to realign with the founding values of Forza Italia.