What «Orwellian» really means

A story of nature for Chernobyl?

Abstract: Is the Chernobyl disaster a story of nature? Apparently it is, since flora and fauna came back to life in the «Zone of Alienation», the 30 kilometre exclusion area created all around the nuclear site disaster. Over time animal and plant species have returned to populate the area abandoned by the man and where the human being still will have to keep out. Even if the air is now breathable, radioactive cesium-137 and strontium-90 particles have contaminating both the ground and the plant world. Everything there has radioactive, and it appeared impossible to believe that life could come back. Immediately after the accident no living beings were present in what has become the «Zone of alienation». Humans were evacuated, while flora and fauna simply burnt in the radioactive cloud. In 1986 the radioactive concentration was too high to don't create collateral effects, and in fact it created. Soon after nature started to replace what had been lost.

«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.

The tale by William Rookwood

Transcript: Our story begins, as these stories often do, with a young, up-and-coming politician. He's a deeply religious man and a member of the Conservative party. He's completely single-minded and has no regard for the political process. The more power he attains, the more obvious his zealotry and the more aggressive his supporters become. Eventually, his party launches a special project in the name of "national security". At first, it's believed to be a search for biological weapons and is pursued without regard to its cost. However, the true goal of this project is power. Complete and total hegemonic domination. The project, however, ends violently, but the efforts of those involved are not in vain, for a new ability to wage war is born from the blood of one of the victims. Imagine a virus, the most terrifying virus you can, and then imagine that you and you alone have the cure, but if your ultimate goal is power, how best to use such a weapon? It's at this point in our story that along comes a spider. He's a man seemingly without a conscience, for whom the ends always justify the means, and it is he who suggests that their target should not be an enemy of the country but rather the country itself. Three targets are chosen to maximize the effect of the attack: a school, a tube station and a water treatment plant. Several hundred die within the first few weeks. Fueled by the media, fear and panic spread quickly, fracturing and dividing the country until, at last, the true goal comes into view. Before the St Mary's crisis, no-one would have predicted the results of the election that year, no-one. And then, not long after the election, lo and behold a miracle. Some believe it was the work of God himself, but it was a pharmaceutical company controlled by certain party members that made them all obscenely rich. A year later, several extremists are tried, found guilty and executed while a memorial is built to canonize their victims. But the end result, the true genius of the plan was the fear. Fear became the ultimate tool of this government, and through it, our politician was ultimately appointed to the newly created position of High Chancellor. The rest, as they say, is history.

Keep calm and carry on - the story

bLOGBOOK - My (second) Belgian accommodation

Video available on thepressedworld youtube channel

bLOGBOOK - Special thought

See you Francesco...

Mogherini: «There is a new generation of European leaders»

Brussels, 30 august 2014 - A new generation of decision makers is sitting in Europe, said Federica Mogherini during the press conference after her nomination at new High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR). «I'm 41. Age is something you can't change. What gives me some of comfort is the Italian prime minister itself is actually younger than me, some other prime ministers and European leaders are. As I already said before there is a new generation of European leaders, and I think is very good to have it represented in the European institutions». On Russia, the current Italian foreign minister reiterated the main goal is «to facilitare the dialogue» with Moscow. «We all know the militar way is not the solution of the crisis, and we need to keep the doors of the diplomacy open». (Emanuele Bonini)

Mogherini new High Representative of the EU

Brussels, 30 august 2014 - Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini was appointed new High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR) following the European council meeting hold yesterday in Brussels. She will be in charge from the 1st of November until the 31st of October 2019. «I want to thank the heads of State and government for the decision and the trust», said Mogherini during the press conference. «I know the challenges are huge, especially in these times of crisis, and we are very much aware of how serious is the situation». Mogherini said talking about the current situation around the world and the work she will have to do. «All around Europe we have crisis. We have crisis on the European soil at the moment, and starting from Iraq and Syria until to Libya, if we point a compass in Brussels and we draw a circle we'll see all the neighbors suffering for a conflict». The challenge for the new High Representative will be not an easy one, especially at the beginning, and Mogherini knows that. The Italian foreign minister explained that «[me and Catherine Ashton] we were talking on the way here about her first days and I was asking what was the most difficult part of the job, and she told me it was the beginning because the external service was not there and everything was to be invented». Compared to Catherine Ashton's experience, Mogherini's will be easier, as admitted by the Italian herself. «Today I know I can count on a professional high level structure». During the mandate, Mogherini stated, «my clear and firm intention is to devote all my energies and all my work and my dedication to work in the interest of all member states, each and evey one, and all European citizens, each and everyone». (Emanuele Bonini)

Padoan: «Make a better use of flexibility»

Brussels, 7th of July, 2014 - «The issue is not having more plans for flexibility, the issue is to understand better how structural reforms can be encouraged and what is the impact of structural reforms on the budget profile», explained reporters the Italian minister of Economy and Finance, Pier Carlo Padoan at the end of the Eurogroup meeting. «We can make a better use of the existing rules, the existing amount of flexibility to improve the results in terms of both growth and debt sustainability». (Emanuele Bonini)

Iglesias (Podemos): «Not optimistic about Renzi»

Strasbourg, 2nd of July 2014 - Spanish leftwing and the GUE group in the European Parliament don't trust Matteo Renzi, said Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias in Strasbourg during the plenary working sessions. «I'm not optimistic», told reporters answering a question on the Italian prime minister. «Renzi tried to make deals with Silvio Berlusconi's party in order to does not permit other parties to enter, and this is not a good new for democrats». Furthermore, he added, «Renzi and political party behind him didn't prove to be different from the great coalition that is leading our continent toward a terrible situation» . (Emanuele Bonini)

«It's time for Europe of families», said Renzi

- Elverdinge (Belgium), 26th of June 2014 - It's time to relaunch growth and employment. So let's stop austerity and help citizens. That was Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi's message launched during the meeting of the Party of European Socialists ahead the European Council meeting «Italy neither wants to get anything in competition with the other partners, nor wants to get anything different compared to the others», he said. «The point is to listent to the very clear message come from the European elections, which is a message that obliges to reflect, understanding that if we care about Europe we must act in favour of growth and to tackle unemployment». Renzi reiterated that «there's any Italian position in opposition to that one of the other countries». On the contrary «there's a position, I believe within the European Socialists, in favour of growth and in favour of Europe of families rather than Europe of bureaucracy». (Emanuele Bonini)

Farage: «I expect parties in ECR not to feel comfortable»

- Brussels, 24th of June 2014 - UKIP leader Nigel Farage hopes his new political grop in the European Parliament can become bigger in the next months, he told reporters during the press conference organised to announce the creation of the EFDD political group. It is actually composed by UKIP (UK), Beppe Grillo's M5S (IT), Party of free citizens (CZ), Order & Justice (LT), Union of Greens and Farmers (LV), Swedish Democrats (SE) and MEP Joëlle Bergeron (FR). The group will have 48 MEPs in total. «The creation of this group was not one of easiest things to do, but we managed», he pointed out referring to the difficulties had during the negotiation. The group was possible because of Joëlle Bergeron, former Front National member who joined Farage's project after having complained with Marine Le Pen. Farage now is ready to host other parties, above all those who decided to join the ECR group (that one of David Cameron's Tories). According to Farage in that group, currently the third one in Parliament for number of MEPs, there are parties without nothing in common with institutional parties composing the European Conservatives and Reformist.
«I think there a lot of inconsistencies and some incoherence in that group, so I would expect, between now and Christmas, for some people who join that group, to perhaps not feel specially comfortable in that group». (Emanuele Bonini)

Farage: «We'll play an active role»

- Brussels, 24th of June 2014 - UKIP leader Nigel Farage during the press conference organised to announce the creation of the political group into the European Parliament.
Former group EFD - Europe of Freedom and Democracy -will be replaced by EFDD (Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy). It will be formed by UKIP (UK), Beppe Grillo's M5S (IT), Party of free citizens (CZ), Order & Justice (LT), Union of Greens and Farmers (LV), Swedish Democrats (SE) and MEP Joëlle Bergeron (FR). The group will have 48 MEPs in total.
«Many of the member of this group will play active roles in committees and act as some vicepresident and coordinators», Farage said promising that «the vast majority of the people will be taking committee work here extremely seriously».(Emanuele Bonini)

Obama and the EU: «I get the Commission and Council mixed up»

Gag between Obama and Cameron on the European Union during the joint press conference after the G-7. Obama was asked about his relations with the EU, and he said sometimes he doesn't know who's the person in charge: «I’ve now been present for five and a half years, and I’ve learned a thing or two but…the European Union, the European Commission, the European Council… sometimes I get them mixed up». A smiling Cameron replied «Welcome to the club!»

Obama’s "faux pas" recalled everyone a famous thing Kissinger said. Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State in the ‘70s, once said «Who do I call if I want to speak to Europe?» – after decades, Obama made everyone understand Americans are still uncertain on the matter. (my article for EuNews)

Le Pen: «L'Europe totalitaire est dejà dépassée»

FN leader Marine Le Pen during the joint press conference with PVV leader Geert Wilders (Brussels, 28th May 2014)

video realized by Emanuele Bonini

Wilders: «We are writing history»

PVV leader Geert Wilders during the joint press conference with Front National leader Marine Le Pen (Brussels, 28th of May 2014)
video realized by Emanuele Bonini

Wilders: «Things will change tomorrow»

PPV leader Geert Wilder during the joint press conference with Marine Le Pen (Brussels, 28th of May 2014)
video realized by Emanuele Bonini

How the European Parliament works

The European Union explained*