No Laughing Matter

Italy has just held a general election last week and the result propelled a comedian - Beppe Grillo - to the centre stage of Italian politics.

Now I know that many people feel we have enough comedians in politics already - but this is serious - Beppe Grillo really is a comic and along with his 'Five Star Movement' - Beppe has broken the mould of Italian politics, for a while at least.

For the past two years or so Italy has been led by a technocratic government and Prime Minister - Mario Monti - in an effor to prevent economic disaster and the collapse of the Euro.

So like just about every other deeply indebted country inthe world, Italy's technocratic government has been trying to balance the books - to get the country used to living within its means again - by people paying their taxes (sometimes more taxes) and reducing public spending.

But just as in Greece and in other countries which have been living 'high on the hog' for years - by 'maxing out' the national credit card - the Italian people don't like the 'austerity' medicine or coming back down to earth with a bump.

Hence the general election which dropped Mario Monti's government down to a lowly fourth in the popularity stakes - with the centre left and centre right groupings virtually neck and neck - while Beppe Grillo and his FSM hold the balance of power.

I suppose it's a bit like Ian Hislop from 'Have I Got News For You' holding the ring in the UK between the Tory and Labour parties - while the Lib Dems look on hopefully from the sidelines. 

Now the problem is that Beppe seems unprepared to work with anyone else - contemptuous as he is of the old 'left v right' school of politics - which helped to create this situation in the first place.  

Equally Beppe and FSM see no future in getting into bed with Mario Monti and his technocrats (sounds like a 60s rock band) - who presumably are all as brainy as can be, but dull as dishwater and no fun into the bargain.

All of which means that Italy is facing a perfect poltical storm - a cynical electorate, traditional left and right wing parties locked in a stalemate, a group of  technocrats who believe the only cure is more nasty medicine - and Beppe Grillo who can, if all else fails, tell a good joke.

I like Ian Hislop I have to say - in a curious way he reminds me of George Galloway - except that Ian Hislop is genuinely funny and much more political, in  my book.

But if comedians are going to get involved in politics - then the lesson of Italy is that they have to be prepared to get their hands dirty and make a few decisions.

Because to govern is to choose and all governments have to make choices between competing demands and priorities - which gets few belly laughs in my experience anyway.

So I don't expect Beppe to hang around the political scene for very long - though I wish him well because it is the old-fashioned, tribal politics of yesteryear - which have let Italy and many other countries down.