The Freeing of Europe

[Doc]

Because I read and I am also a realistic person not afraid to say the politically incorrect thing.

A politically incorrect thing is often also a dumb thing... Being politically incorrect is not a goal in itself...

When the subject is political correctness being politically incorrect is the only goal.

[Sertorio]

Alarm as Eurosceptics close in on power
By Katya Adler, BBC News Europe editor
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44197351

Brussels is watching Italy with horror: appalled by the very real prospect of having a Moscow-sympathising, passionately Eurosceptic government in the heart of the EU, hell-bent on flouting the bloc's budgetary, eurozone and migration regulations.

The League and the Five Star Movement have distanced themselves from previous promises to hold a referendum on pulling Italy out of the euro, but the threat to do just that would remain as long as they governed Italy.

Of course we're not there yet. The Italian president and parliament still need to give this government the green light. But the choice of a little-known, moderate academic as prime minister was clever, making this controversial political union - strongly supported by the Italian public - far harder for the establishment to reject.

Who is Giuseppe Conte?

Mr Conte, 54, is a professor who teaches private law in Florence and Rome. He is not an MP and is a complete unknown in politics.

He is seen as a compromise candidate who will come across as palatable to Italy at large, and hard for the president to turn down.

However, he has strong ideas about how Italy should be run and is seen as close to Luigi Di Maio of Five Star.

He has called for hundreds of "useless laws" to be abolished and believes that the ideologies of the 20th Century are out of date.

Mr Conte was Five Star's preferred choice and was already the figure they wanted for another government role.

The parties needed to reach an agreement on their prime ministerial candidate with Mr Mattarella before seeking approval from parliament.

What are the coalition's key pledges?

On Friday, 11 weeks after an inconclusive election result, the populist parties released their anti-austerity coalition manifesto. Here are some of the key points:

Guaranteed income: Poor families will get a €780 (£682; $919) basic monthly income, provided recipients actively seek work

Mass deportations: An estimated 500,000 undocumented migrants in Italy must be deported "as a priority"

New tax rates: A "flat tax" will be introduced to reduce income tax rates to just two brackets, set at 15% and 20%, while families would receive a €3,000 annual tax deduction based on household income

Italy's debt: Revisions to the EU's Stability and Growth Pact, which sets a tough budget deficit limit of 3% of GDP, and a plan to reduce debt through "internal demand" instead of austerity

Pension reform: Setting the minimum monthly pension at €780, with a plan to abolish the current pension reform that raises the retirement age in phases

Relations with Russia: To work with the Kremlin on international issues such as the smuggling of migrants across the Mediterranean and the continuing influence of violent Islamists

Their programme has some doubtful points, but it is a step in the right direction, the direction of a Free Europe...

[cassowary]

Some.gpod.some.bad.

[Mr. Perfect]

This is only a failure if one's goal is a world full of nationalists.

The world has always been full of nationalists.

[Sertorio]

This is only a failure if one's goal is a world full of nationalists.

The world has always been full of nationalists.

We are all nationalists. But some are aggressive nationalists (US) and others are passive nationalists (Iceland)...

[SteveFoerster]

This is only a failure if one's goal is a world full of nationalists.

The world has always been full of nationalists.

We are all nationalists.

Speak for yourself.