The Italian Referendum

The year 2016 will be marked by three important referendums. First there was Brexit in the UK, then there was the Colombian referendum (in which voters rejected a peace deal with the Farc) and now it's the turn of the Italian referendum.

On Sunday 4th of December millions of Italians will be called to the polls to vote yes or no. The question: do you approve the following changes to the constitution - overcoming perfect bicameralism, reducing the number of MPs, reducing costs, eliminating a public entity and modifying the section concerning regions, provinces and municipalities? 
I'm not going to go into the technical details, as it's all rather complicated unless you're a constitutional expert. I also won't say which way I voted (as an Italian abroad I've already voted by post).

What troubles me is the meaning that has been attributed to this referendum and the stakes involved.

This was (and supposedly still is) a referendum about whether to change the Italian constitution. On the one hand, the yes camp argue that these changes are necessary and that they will lead to real progress. On the other hand, the no camp argue that the constitution is not the problem and that the proposed new text is confusing and badly written.

However, this referendum is being seen by many as a test for prime minister Renzi's government. It is also seen in the context of a growing anti-establishment trend, which started with Brexit and was reinforced by the election of Donald Trump in the US presidential election. All sorts of doomsday scenarios are being painted: a no vote could destabilise the country's economy, spark another banking crisis and eventually threaten the survival of the Eurozone. 

Of course, Renzi is partly to blame for this. Like Cameron with Brexit, Renzi turned the referendum into a personal matter when he announced that he would stand down if yes did not win. He later seemed to realise his mistake and backtracked, only to change his mind again: if no wins, he will resign - or so he says. Unlike other politicians, Italian politicians have a history of holding onto power till the bitter end.

According to the Financial Times, a no vote could lead to Italy leaving the euro and to the failure of up to eight Italian banks.

The Economist, meanwhile, is sending slightly mixed messages, with one article titled "Why Italy should vote no in its referendum. The country needs far-reaching reforms, just not the ones on offer". In another article the Economist warns that "the risk ((of a no vote)) is not so much instability as immobility: that months, even years, will be spent on yet more wrangling over the mechanics of politics and that Italy will not get the reforms it needs".   

German finance ministre Schaueble hopes that Renzi will be successful and said that he would vote for him. The point, however, is that this is not a vote for or against Renzi.

Whatever the press and the politicians may say, however catastrophic the consequences may or may not be, the yes or no vote is not a judgement on the government and it is not about whether to leave the EU or the Eurozone. This is a referendum about the constitution. Nobody really knows what will happen. If no wins, as the polls predict, the consequences may not be as dramatic as some suggest. To cite the Economist again: "If, though, a lost referendum really were to trigger the collapse of the euro, then it would be a sign that the single currency was so fragile that its destruction was only a matter of time".

Saint Martin's Day: a German tradition for children

November 11 is marked across many parts of the world as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day or Veterans Day to recall the end of hostilities of the 1st World War. 
In Germany, the Carnival season begins at 11:11 on November 11 and people traditionally eat Berliner Pfannkuchen (similar to doughnuts but without a hole) on this day.
November 11 is also Saint Martin's Day, which is celebrated by all children in Germany as "Laternenfest", the party of the lanterns.
If you happen to be out on the streets just after dusk on Saint Martin's Day, you will most likely encounter one or more processions of children carrying lanterns and singing Saint Martin songs. 
However, if you're at work or live in a neighbourhood with very few children, you will hardly notice. It was only when I moved to Berlin (and to an area full of children) that I first saw a procession of lanterns.
If you're a child growing up in Germany the party of the lanterns is one of the highlights of the year. The lanterns are prepared days or weeks in advance at nursery or school and the children practise signing the typical lantern songs with their teachers. On the actual day, children, parents and teachers gather outside nursery or school and together they walk and sing. At the end of the procession there is usually a party with food and drinks. In some cases there is also a bonfire. On these cold and dark autumnal nights, the lanterns bring much needed light and warmth.

We don't need more walls

It was November the 9th 2009. People, leaders and celebrities from all over the world had gathered in the German capital to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. I had just moved to Berlin and was delighted to be able to participate in the celebrations by the Brandenburg Gate. It was a cold night, it was raining, but we were all excited to witness this historical moment.

One of the leaders who gave a speech about the importance of the fall of physical and mental walls was US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

How sad and ironic that exactly seven years later Hillary Clinton should lose the US presidential election to a man who has promised to erect a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico (amongst many over outrageous proposals).

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown was also in Berlin for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall and spoke of one united Europe. Seven years later Brexit happened.

If there is one place on earth that knows the devastating effects of a wall this is Berlin, the city I live in and a city that was divided for almost 30 years.

When people worldwide choose to build more walls, more barriers, more fences both physical and psychological, something has clearly gone wrong.