Farinetti's terrifying and disturbing ideas about southern Italy

Oscar Farinetti is a guy who, without making too many mysteries, we do not particularly like. In fact, far from it. To understand the character a bit, one would only have to enter any of the Eataly stores scattered a throughout the country (and for some time abroad as well). We strongly recommend taking a tour inside the one in Florence: anyone will understand that they are inside a structure somewhere between a grocery store and a supermarket in the style of a large-scale retail store, albeit with products that are a bit more refined (nothing, however, that cannot be found elsewhere: on the contrary, many products can often be found even in the supermarket next door). The Florence store is then also an interesting outing because of the pretentiousness of combining the eating moment with something vaguely approaching an idea of culture because, after you pass the wall filled with Renzi’s books, you will find “illustrated panels” (get an ice bag ready as a remedy for a stiff neck, since they are placed at an impractical height from the ground for easy reading, unless you want to obstruct other “visitors” by positioning yourself on the narrow stairs, and even then you would still not be able to read them all) that attempt to “explain” the major figures of the Florentine Renaissance. A “museum tour,” as it is called in an utterly ridiculous way on Eataly’s website, suggesting that whoever drafted the text presenting these skimpy panels has not the vaguest idea of what a real “museum tour” is.

But we had already talked about all this on our website, so the invitation is to read the post we had dedicated to this trivialization of the Renaissance by Eataly. But we had not only talked about this: we had also talked about Farinetti’s entrepreneurial culture, which is a far bigger problem than the trivialization of the Renaissance. We had talked about that, too (for example, about the fact that our partisan son entrepreneur thinks it is fair to pay one of his workers 8 euros gross per hour): now, however, Farinetti is back in the limelight, dispensing us with pearls of entrepreneurship, with a new interview given on April 1 to Corriere del Mezzogiorno. And it was no joke, because Farinetti was merely reiterating what he had said the day before to Andrea Scanzi on his Reputescion program.

What comes out is a completely distorted idea not only of culture, but also of employment and the problems of the South. Farinetti then declares, “for me in the south there is only one thing to do: a single Sharm el Sheikh, where the whole world goes there on vacation.” And to be more specific: “in the South they should build the most beautiful villages in the world. I would open it up to all the multinationals to come and do it [...]. In the coming years the nations that make it will focus on exports and tourism. And the latter is our oil. Pompeii must be different from what it is.” And so we end with the praise of a hypothetical Renzi-taumaturge who will also solve the problem of the mafias: “if you want you can solve everything,” Farinetti’s word.

We do not know how much we need to thin these statements by Farinetti from provocations. What is certain is that the problems of the South are not solved at all by turning it into “one Sharm el Sheik.” This is a humiliating prospect, denoting a lack of culture, for so many reasons. Starting with the fact that basing an entire economy on tourism is certainly not the prerogative of countries with the highest development index. And Farinetti, who is an entrepreneur, should know this well. But even if we wanted to talk about mere tourism, shall we say a few words about Farinetti’s idea of tourism? That is, for Farinetti does tourism really coincide with “building the most beautiful villages in the world” and making “one Sharm el Sheikh,” a resort now prey to the most boorish mass tourism? Is this what we want for the South?

Not to mention that, as the interviewer points out, there is no such thing as one south: “the south is many souths.” Cerignola’s problems are not the same as Monreale’s, just to make a point. And then... landscapes, traditions, culture, history, environment: is the development model to erase all this or, at the very least, to trivialize the historical and cultural heritage of the south by turning it into a diversion for tourists to be locked up inside anonymous tourist resorts? What’s more, “built by multinationals”? Farinetti’s is a perspective that offends the south, that reduces it to a land of conquest, for a kind of new colonialism where the only activities of the inhabitants would be to work to enrich the new settlers of tourism, with the results that we can already see not only in Sharm el Sheikh but in so many other locations around the world, of those that are the model for our Farinetti.

Honestly, I find these statements terribly disturbing, especially considering the particular chemistry that runs between Farinetti and the current prime minister. I’d like to think that Farinetti’s is a provocation: but his “entrepreneurial culture” (and his “culture” tout-court) also leads me to think that, deep down, there is something serious (and deeply disrespectful) in the interview given to Corriere del Mezzogiorno. Also because claiming to want to talk about all the problems of the South in a single interview of a few lines, and moreover claiming to want to find the panacea for all ills, is as far-fetched as ever: precisely for this reason I do not propose alternative recipes in this post. First, because there is no point in talking about solutions for the “south” in a generic sense: there are many macro-areas and many micro-areas, each with its own history and problems. Therefore, it would be appropriate to address and solve the problems individually as each depends on different causes and factors. Second, because the problems of southern Italy are the result of a whole composed of political choices, bad habits, and historical situations: expecting to solve everything in a short time, with a touch of a magic wand, is as illogical as ever. Third, because it is not with slogans, let alone interviews, that problems are solved. It is necessary to discuss and plan.

It is clear, however, that something must be started. The greatest ally of all the world’s problems (so not just those of the South) is ignorance: the basis for solving problems therefore lies in talking about them and shaping consciences. We, in our own small way, try to do that, and also give ourselves to it within our possibilities.

Ah, to conclude: I did not mention that for the umpteenth time the oil metaphor has been brought up. Quite frankly, that’s enough.

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