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To those who accused him of being too staid, Olaf Scholz, in the electoral campaign for the leadership of the German government, replied that he was a candidate for Chancellor, not for circus director. Boris Johnson, who has always been pleased with his irrepressible inclination for the show, certainly does not risk receiving the same criticism. He stayed true to the well-tried script at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on Wednesday. More than a political speech, made up of objectives, tools and strategies, he offered the delegates a crackling monologue of jokes, good humor and optimism in massive doses. Result, all enthralled, laughter, applause, standing ovation. And we leave for the next show.
Let’s put aside for a moment the abysmal differences in style between the likely German chancellor and the Downing Street tenant, between the drab, boring measure and the rousing cabaret exuberance. Each has its own brand, also chosen according to the tastes of its customers. After all, it is not just a question of comparisons between the two sides of the Channel. A few days earlier, at the Labor Congress in Brighton, party leader Keir Starmer had used a much more conventional political language than that of the “magician” BoJo. Rather, it is a question of where the UK is going now, once it has emerged not only from the pandemic but increasingly from Europe as well.
Yes, what about Britain today unbound from unbearable ties with the EU, free to take back control and happy to sail in proud autonomy in the open seas of the Anglosphere? It is legitimate to continue to doubt that the synergy with the US and Australia opens strategic horizons for a country whose interests are still so closely intertwined with those of its European neighbors. Now those who expected some indication from the Tory congress were disappointed. It may not have been the venue, but the space for programs is small, while there is plenty of space for the celebration of a leader. Which, however, led the Conservatives to a landslide victory and catapulted to Westminster an impressive group of parliamentarians who owe him a lot. Especially since the Labor opposition trudges on the sidelines of the playing field and Starmer must also keep at bay the resurgence of Corbynism within his party, an aspect on which the irony of the Prime Minister does not forgive (“Starmer is like a hostage skipper of Somali pirates, who are desperately trying to negotiate a change of course “).
Meanwhile, in the country, gasoline does not reach service stations and some shelves remain empty in supermarkets. Johnson does not mention it, nor does he mention any indices of poverty and social hardship. Among the fireworks to entertain the audience, it is better to simply invoke with confidence the mantra of the transformations taking place in the system: we aim for greater job qualification, higher productivity, higher wages and lower tax burden. Interesting and ambitious, medium-term program, but in the meantime, who transports gasoline to distributors, how do you avoid brawls over fuel grabbing, who is responsible for regularly supplying supermarkets and pharmacies with basic necessities? The modernization of the economy is fine, the British taught us this two centuries ago, but the transition must be managed carefully.
If Brexit is no longer up for discussion, at least some downstream regulations could be shaped with some flexibility. The lack of mostly European truckers can be mitigated by less stringent British rules on free movement of people between the UK and the EU. Likewise, the necessary controls on goods can be regulated with the greatest possible favor for the fluidity of trade. The industrial sector is hoping for a lot, Europeans have the same interest. And of course it is not a fact that concerns only trade, but the future connection of the UK with the rest of Europe. At this point, if he wanted to, it is up to Boris Johnson to turn off the stage spotlights and turn on the desk light to study papers and proposals.
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