Senselessland (chapter 10)

Impressions and images from Belpaese

There's three ways to do things, the right way, the wrong way and the way that I do it. I'm sorry, but there is always a fourth way to do things: the way Italians do it. Maybe because of politeness, maybe because of style, maybe because of lack of familiarity with the Italian affairs, but be sure in Italy things will always work in a proper, different, way. Superficial, partial, incomplete, or with no logic - and thus senseless - Italy appears to be a sort of alternative wonderland, the senselessland I always talk about. This time we have the privilege of having an official source where find a classical example of how at this world things can be done in the right way, in the wrong way or in Italian way. The European Parliament issued "How to end Energy Poverty? Scrutiny of Current EU and Member States Instruments", a study for the Industry, Research and Energy committee. Here Italy became a study case, with the authors who have been forced to dedicate a specific chapter to the Italian member state of the EU. I say they have been forced to do it, because there is no doubt Italy represent a great case of lack of any kind of strategic view. According to the study, «Italy has no definition of energy poverty. Nevertheless, Italy targeted energy poverty by general policies and measures with short term  effects». So basically Italians look for solution in order whose nature appear to be of emergence or "last-minute". In one case, the country lives constantly in emergency, in the other case simply lives of improvisation.
How to end energy poverty? Good question. In Italy «the vulnerable target group is not sufficiently defined», states the expert of the European Parliament.

 The Italian scheme of energy benefits consists of a lump-sum contribution for vulnerable consumers, according to which the eligibility of a household is determined by a combination of income, wealth, labour force participation and demographics. «It takes no account of the actual spending on energy, housing conditions or the cost of living of the household», and this is something not irrelevant because it shows how policies in Italy don't take into account neither the contingency nor the reality. Parallel universe could then be used as expression to refer to Italy and the Italian affairs. In its study the European Parliament suggested Italy to review the benefit scheme for electricity and gas thought to support low-income households, given the fact in the current version doesn't work. «In particular, it is necessary to acknowledge that the cost of living differs widely across the country: the material conditions of households with similar income or wealth levels but living in different areas of the country can be quite different». The European Parliament basically talks about the gap between the north and the south of the country, and doesn't it curious that Italian legislators didn't consider the differences of their country? This Italian case clearly shows how having the European Union can help. Hopefully.