Milan and the ‘Nazification’ of left-wing politics

Milan has finally found the criterion for choosing its next mayor: Gaza. We’d been focusing on rents, transport, security and the suburbs. Matters for housing estate committee members. The PD’s Di Battista, Paolo Romano, proposes instead that there should be no place in the coalition for anyone who does not recognise the genocide in Gaza. Pierfrancesco Majorino adds that candidates in the primaries should commit to suspending the twinning arrangement with Tel Aviv. First the Middle East, then, if there’s time left over, the ring road. It is the ‘Palestinisation’ of public debate: any topic, to become politically acceptable, must pass through Gaza. The bridge over the Strait, a cycle path, the lift at a metro station near Brera.

You may have a project, the funding and even a deadline: if you don’t mention Palestine, you’re not cool enough – and probably not left-wing enough either. The tender specifications now require a geopolitical statement.

In Milan, too, the system has its uses. Beppe Sala, backed by the centre-left, has been in charge. Taking stock would mean deciding what to claim credit for and what to put right. Perhaps admitting that he’s done some things quite well and others rather poorly (I detest these adjectives, but they get the point across, even if they are chilling). Or explaining why those who supported him for years now want to change everything.

A tiresome debate. Gaza offers a way round it: instead of arguing over Sala’s legacy, the Tel Aviv City Council is being questioned.

Majorino is calling for the city to take a clear stand against the massacre. And who will decide whether it has done so clearly enough? The leadership of the Lombardy PD? Will there be a committee to assess the adverbs? Strengthen the condemnation and stand again at the next party conference.

Now let us imagine a resident of Gratosoglio trying to ask when the tram passes by, how to apply for social housing, or whether that cycle path has been well designed. The candidate listens to him, nods and replies: “First tell me what you think of the twinning scheme.” The tram can wait. The ideological test takes precedence.

Yet when it comes to transport, a distinction would be useful: a city needs infrastructure to get people to school and work; Hamas has invested in tunnels for the sake of war. But pointing this out would complicate the narrative, introducing a subject that features less and less in the discussions of certain progressives. Better to return to the City of Milan, provided it is done by condemning Jerusalem.

At this stage, it is advisable to ensure consistency in the rules governing the primaries. To vote, it will not be enough simply to declare oneself a centre-left voter. Voters will need to prove they have watched "Naza" at least once. Mandatory proof: a selfie taken in the cinema during the closing credits, showing a contrite expression. No smiles, no popcorn in the frame. The sorrow must be recognisable even in a passport-sized photo.

At the information stands, alongside the document, a photograph will be on display. “Have you seen the film?” “Twice.” “Good. You can vote.” Those who have only read the manifestos, on the other hand, will be invited to broaden their political understanding. One screening and your fears will be allayed.

Naza thus becomes the perfect election campaign: it costs the party less than a single poster, provides a shared ritual and spares the candidates the trouble of explaining how they intend to govern. Everyone in the same room, everyone with the same expression, everyone united until the lights come on.

The problem arises when someone asks how much an ATM subscription will cost, where to build houses, how to tackle security, or what to do about cars in restricted traffic zones. That’s where decisions, money and different answers are needed. And the broad political spectrum quickly turns into a battlefield.

So let’s move on to Gaza. We can still discuss the next mayor. As for the selfie, at last, there’s a clear line.