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Dec.12 - Dec.19, 2004 |
Hitting the target
Mirko Tremaglia happy with his endeavour
By Niccolò Marras
Originally Published: 2003-11-09
Rome - "Never before we've had so many ministers, and their declarations mean that we've hit our target." So began Minister for Italians Abroad Mirko Tremaglia's press conference, marking the end of last week's convention on Italian entrepreneurship all over the world. He looked remarkably satisfied in detailing how he succeeded in his endeavour: "I started with a successful convention of scientists, and politicians took notice and understood the importance of the 60 million ethnic Italians who live abroad."
Tremaglia does not see himself as a politician belonging to a specific party; he styles himself as flying above parties and affirming a political belief of Italian specificity, above and beyond political parties. "Like I am, like you are," he said to the audience of ethnic Italian entrepreneurs participating in the convention.
Tremaglia said that his ministry is full of collaborators of every political stripe, and that its agenda already includes two more conventions with Italians from all over the world. The earlier one is slated for December 28 in Capri, with restaurant operators, and then will be the turn of missionaries. "As you can see, I have to deal with several problems at once," explained Tremaglia. "For instance, schools: I reached an agreement with the USA for having Italian taught in 500 U.S. schools. Also economy, information and communications, scientists, etc. In order to do all this, I don't need to run a government but to strike comprehensive deals with many ministries and governmental organizations. My ministry lacks a budget, but has a patrimony: the 60 million Italians who live abroad."
During his press conference Tremaglia was both answering questions and repeating his philosophy of letting Italians know about the 'Other Italy' outside the borders. He seems to have done just that with this convention, selling his idea to politicians and to Italian media that are reporting on this other 'planet' and its successful inhabitants.
He seems to have sold it especially well to Italians abroad, managing to be seen as their 'spiritual father.' According to two surveys, he commissioned, his level of personal approval would be at 70 per cent, compared to a much lower 17 per cent of approval for Italian parties. "That's why," he said, "I wouldn't like Italian parliamentarians elected abroad to merge in the various parties, but rather creating their own parliamentary group. In the latter case they could rely on the support of the Other Italy; in the former they would simply disappear. People living abroad have a kind of rejection for Italian parties, while I present myself as being against parties that discriminate among Italians."
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