Returning to matters at hand, we had elections this week (May 13, 2001); the center-right coalition known as Il Polo della Libertà (the Freedom Pole) won, and now media magnate Silvio Berlusconi will have to make good on his election pledges, which include dropping taxes, increasing the minimum monthly pension to a million Lire (about 500 dollars), and a tremendous number of public works projects. Dropping taxes would be nice, as by the time they're all figured in the tax bite for the average Italian is 55-60%, which helps explain why so many people (and entire companies) file fraudulent returns, or work only for cash and pay no taxes. Upping the minimum pension will also be a good thing, because it's very difficult to make it on the 400-odd dollars a month that's the current minimum unless one can count on the assistance of family members, and not all the elderly can. The public works projects? Depends upon what they are, but some things do need doing. The problem is, how is Mr. Berlusconi going to pay for all this? Running up the deficit would be frowned upon by the EEU, and therefore isn't really an option, while he has promised to drop taxes. We shall see; since he has sworn he will get out of politics if he doesn't deliver on his pledges, everyone will be watching closely, especially the left.

The one pledge he made that nobody will object to is raising the salaries of law enforcement personnel -- the left pledged that too, and also had a plank about "certainty of punishment" for criminals. This is a real problem in Italy; a great many people think that the justice system pats criminals on the head and lets them go. Nor is this feeling entirely off the mark -- last week justices in a northern city released two teenagers who had killed a 22-year-old Nigerian prostitute simply because they "wanted to feel adult" without even convicting them: if they do community service until they become 18 they'll have clean records and it will be as if the crime never happened (for them, of course). Lest you think the release was racially motivated -- several immigrant groups complained that the ruling translates to "open season on coloreds" -- judges also just released several teens who killed a 92-year-old woman whose house they were robbing. Again, because they were underage. And in fact there has been a string of high-profile cases along these lines of late, which are leading to pressure to have teens be judged, perhaps not as harshly as many are in the US, but at least by some sort of standard that involves responsibility. After all, being tremendously forgiving of 17-year-olds and throwing the book at them as soon as they turn 18 doesn't make much sense.

But it is understandable given the Italian context, and there are a great many people who push for leniency for those over 18 as well. Why? Because of the Italian family structure; ISTAT (the national statistics office) recently announced that over the past 7 years the percentage of Italian children aged 18-30 who are living with their parents has risen from 68 to 77, which is more than double the European average. Think of it -- that's close to 4 out of 5 adult children under 30 still in the nest. The reasons are numerous, from long university programs (people are often in their mid-late 20s when they finish their studies) to tight housing, to tightness of the job market. But then a funny thing happens -- many of these youths get their degrees, find good jobs, and… continue to live at home. It's convenient, with Mom and Dad providing moral support under almost any circumstance, no expenses unless one wants to contribute, and someone else (mom, usually) to take care of cooking, laundry and cleaning. This is especially true for the sons; daughters are instead expected to help with the housework, and this explains why they are more likely to leave the nest.

Of course, an extended adolescence of this sort is really no good for anyone involved. Living under the parental roof means one is not free to do what one wants, and though most people would think of entertaining and parties in this respect, the lack of freedom also extends to rearranging the furniture, getting a pet, or even cooking something garlicky if the folks won't stand for it. And, most importantly, it becomes much more difficult to establish a serious relationship with someone. As a result, what seemed delightful to the care-free 20-year old often feels horridly smothering to the 30-year old, but by that point things have settled into a routine that is extremely difficult to break out of; many simply continue to coast with mounting frustration. Nor are things easier for the parents; as they grow older they can never really retire because they have to look after the overage adolescent who's still under their roof.

What finally drives the kids out? Marriage, often, but unions are difficult when the people involved are 30 or above (the average marriage ages for Italian men and women are now about 33 and 30, respectively, and they're climbing), and one or both of them are used to having parents take care of the day-to-day activities involved in running a household. A great many of these marriages collapse within weeks or months, at which point the most of the males hurry back to the nest (women, once out, tend to stay out). The return of a crushed-and-broken spirit is tremendously difficult for all involved, and then the family has to go through the role-reversal that occurs when the aging parents are no longer able to look after the child, but rather the child has to look after them. A very bleak picture indeed, and one that many Italian households are struggling to deal with now or will have to deal with in the future.

A possible solution? Provide young people with some sort of incentive if they'll leave the nest and strike out on their own. This is being done on a small scale by some towns, which have set up "cohabitation condos" (for want of a better term) where young couples can stay while looking for a permanent place to live once they're married, and by other towns that give young people who move in and have kids incentives and prizes of one sort or another. We'll see now if the national government does anything to address this problem.

A presto,
Kyle Phillips
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