Finally, a bit of clarity. Some people, upon reading the figures documented by the United Nations and climatologists, had become alarmed by the fact that the periodic and increasingly frequent waves of extreme heat are now costing Europeans thousands of lives and causing severe economic damage. But then came the clarifying words of the nation’s second-highest-ranking official, Senate President Ignazio La Russa, who urged us not to worry because if a Caribbean-like climate arrives, “it means we’ll get used to it.” So let’s not worry if the government fails to produce an effective and actionable climate plan, if it implements funding measures that favor the use of fossil fuels, or if it slows down the ecological transition: “we just need to adapt.”
Once the false alarms had been cleared up, the Meloni government then revealed one of its top priorities: a reform to be carried out by imposing an emergency timeline on Parliament. Hunting. Not the hunt for inefficiencies, waste, or energy mismanagement that have sent utility bills skyrocketing. No, the hunt for the animals that make us Europe’s leader in biodiversity. And how to support it? With a law that allows hunting in the snow, in areas that have been protected until now, during extended hunting seasons, with the scientific community’s opinions reduced to mere window dressing, and permitting the use of live animals as bait and night-vision goggles to give the hunted no respite.
Bill 1552, which the opposition calls the“Free-for-All,” is a threat to a balance that is already very fragile. So much so that the European Union, having previously condemned Italy for violating the directives governing hunting, has now issued an unusual alert to remind everyone that it is monitoring a situation fraught with potential conflicts with the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive: Under the new bill, regions could authorize hunting activities during migration and breeding seasons.
But what’s truly surprising isn’t the aggressive push to force through legislative changes, because that’s essentially in the Meloni government’s DNA. What is surprising is the anti-popular nature of this measure. For decades, there hasn’t been a single poll supporting “Doppietta Selvaggia.” All surveys gauging Italians’ attitudes on the matter point to growing disaffection with the practice of using lead to initiate a relationship with animals. These customs, which developed in an era when hunting helped many families make ends meet, now seem to most Italians like tribal rituals whose relevance is on par with that of cannibalism.
And while the broad opposition coalition finds a unifying cause in the fight against hunting deregulation, the right is divided. Michela Vittoria Brambilla, a member of the Chamber of Deputies from the Noi Moderati party, opposed the measure, noting that such a law would bring the referendum to ban hunting back into the spotlight. Also opposed were Senator Michaela Biancofiore, chair of the Noi Moderati caucus, and Rita Dalla Chiesa, a member of the Chamber of Deputies from Forza Italia.
The only group that unanimously supports the deregulation of hunting is the gun lobby, which would undoubtedly benefit from an increase in firepower in Italy. Will that be enough to balance the government’s budget ahead of the elections?
