Italy
The Great Cold in Italy, and Western democracies, where ideals are increasingly fragile A piece by La Repubblica, The Great Cold looming over Kyiv, shares an analysis of the disintegration of democracy in Italy and Western countries in general. These countries took the side of Ukraine not only for humanitarian reasons, but also because they perceived that their part of the world was indirectly affected by the war. According to the author, former editor-in-chief Ezio Mauro, Western democracies have realised the foundations of their ideals are fragile, and democracy is evolving into populism. Mauro underlines that most Italian political parties’ positions towards Ukraine, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, remain on the surface and don’t have strong roots. (La Repubblica) This challenge of democracies’ endurance in the face of their own contradictions is also the topic of an editorial by the analyst Francesco Strazzari on the newspaper Il Manifesto. It says war is not close to an end, and savages western democracies: “Those who strive for peace will have to continue to defend the distinction, threatened by a constant propaganda campaign, between pursuing the logic of war and surrendering to the purposes of the most ruthless side.” (il manifesto) Due to the Russian full-scale invasion, Ukraine is one of the most mined countries in the world, as depicted in Italian correspondent Ilario Piagnarelli’s last report. He followed deminers in Ukraine, helping secure watercourses and seas. Piagnarelli tells the story of the first woman scuba diver and bomb disposal engineer, who retrieves mines, unexploded bullets and cluster bombs. (Rai News 24) How to photograph war? An interview with the Italian photojournalist Alessio Romenzi, reveals the risks photographers have to take, and the ethical decisions they have to make. He also adds that in this war, drones are the real innovation, and have allowed us to see the war close-up. (Podcast on Il Post) The Italian photographer Alessandro Pavone won an Emmy award for a report from Ukraine. (La Repubblica) |