Last week the Justice minister Clemente Mastella gave a teary-eyed speech of resignation to the parliament, upon learning that he, his wife, and most of their political party – the UDEUR – were being formally put under investigation for political interference in public appointments (in particular within the health service). Mastella’s resignation, followed on Monday of this week with his decision to withdraw the UDEUR’s support for Prodi’s government, led directly to yesterday’s no-confidence vote which brought down the government.

So, it’s not unreasonable to pay some attention to Mastella’s resignation speech. Something few journalists have done. Thankfully, though, Goffredo Fofi of Lo Straniero has written just such an article for Internazionale magazine. The following excerpt provides excellent analysis of the whole ‘Mastella problem’:

Announcing in parliament his resignation, offended by the accusations of corruption (concussione)directed by the magistrature at his wife, who is president of the Campagnia regional council, Clemente Mastella said that ‘between power and family’ he chose family. And it seems to me that no-one was scandalized. Strong through his capacity to hold to ransom Prodi and his government, thanks to the few but indispensable votes at the disposition of his small party, he said ‘power’. He didn’t say the ‘function of minister of the republic’ or ‘service to the state’ as would have been required just a few years ago, for motives of rhetoric and appearance’s sake. No, he actually said, and I don’t know whether it was more through misunderstanding or cynicism, ‘power’.

And here, I believe, is the crux of the Italian crisis: none of those elected by the people still feel, even merely in words, the necessity to recall themselves to their constitutional obligations, to the honest administration of public space, to good government. They see in themselves simply and crudely power.