«A bright future for Italians, not for Italy»

Indro Montanelli was journalist and historian. It is considered one of the greatest Italian journalists of the 20th century. In this short video he was asked about the future of Italy, and the answer well summarise the situation offering a picture of a country where nothing has changed. Here the full English transcript.

Question (journalist): What future will Italy have?
Answer (Indro Montanelli): Should I really tell?
Q: Let's try
A: No future for Italy. A country that ignores its past and doesn't care about its past cannot have a future. I remember a definition of Italy I received by one of my greatest job teachers, Ugo Ojetti, a former great journalist. He told me once «Haven't you understood yet? Italy is a country for contemporary men, with neither ancestors nor posterity because with any memory». I was 25 years old, and I considered these words as a sally, a paradox, then I realised Ojetti was absolutely right. Italy has an extraordinary history, but it remains unknown and unstudied. Italy is a country with no self-awareness. If you ask me «what future for Italians?», I would reply I expect a very bright future. For Italians, not for Italy! Italians are the most skillful ones to get in a international pot, because they lack of national barriers. First of all Italians are leader in certain professions. I have no doubt we will be the best shoemakers, the best tailors, the best hotel managers, the best cooks in Europe. I say with no negative sense: in slavish jobs we are totally unbeatable. But we are unbeatable not only there. The Italian individuality can impose itself in science, too. I'm sure Italian scientists, Italian doctors, Italian specialists, Italian physicists, Italian chemists will emerge once they will be in a European environment. Italians will impose their skills. But just the Italians, not Italy. Italy won't be there, because Italy is not there. Italians who go to Germany will become Germans.
Q: Are Italian so flexible?
A: Very flexible. Italians are not the Jews, who have been preserving their identity since 2.000 years. Jews remain Jews, Italians don't.
Q: Is this a fault?
A: A fault. And a virtue, too. I mean I don't see a future for Italy, while I see a bright future for Italians.