The soft coup d’etat of Brussels monetary orthodoxy over democractically elected Italian politicians could turn out to be the EU’s largest banana skin yet. It has shaken the markets and played into the hands of the populist Mario Salvini and Luigi Di Maio, who had formed a coalition with the largest bloc between them from the last election. By veto-ing their choice of finance minister who has solid credentials, but like most economists harbours doubts about the long-term viability of the euro, the President Sergio Mattarella could have overreached disastrously.
Another Italian election is likely but there are wider worries given the high levels of debt in France, Italy, Belgium and Spain. If this wobbles towards another 2011 crisis, which was resolved by bullying Greece into submission, there are fewer options available. Italy is a larger economy by far; Merkel has lost much of her power; and Macron could be weighed down by internal French debt problems. And the European Central Bank will have reached the limits of its ability to keep plugging the sea-wall.
First Italy. Matteo Salvini, 9 March 1973 10pm (unverified) Milan, has an entertaining 5th house Sun Venus Mercury in Pisces on the focal point of a Mutable T Square to Saturn opposition Neptune – a sizeable ego, scattered, disorganised, unrealistic; with an excitable and argumentative Mars in Capricorn in the 3rd square Uranus. Plus a confident Jupiter trine Pluto. He’ll be kicking furiously against restrictions in June but getting a boost in July to mid September from tr Uranus square his Jupiter, which returns in 2019. Overall this a high-wire, nervy year for him. Where he comes into his own will be in 2019/2020 with a successful tr Pluto conjunct his Jupiter/Node from April for two years thereafter; and he’s also got a superlatively confident Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Sun, exact in 18 months’ time. His life will be moving through major changes also in 2019/2020 with tr Pluto square his Uranus. With more triumphs in 2022/23.
Luigi Di Maio, 6 July 1986 6.40pm Avellino is a New Moon in Cancer trine opposition Mars in Capricorn and trine Jupiter in Pisces – confident, lucky, volatile, tuned into the nationalist zeitgeist; with an inspirational, attention-demanding Fire Grand Trine. He’s got tr Saturn moving through his first quadrant, so will sag for a few years especially from 2019 onwards, but he’s young enough to pick up again into the early to mid 2020s onwards.
President Sergio Matarella, 23 July 1941 11.40am Palermo, is a controlling 10th house Sun Pluto in Leo; with a heavyweight Saturn Uranus in Taurus square Venus and trine Neptune. He’s being seriously shaken by tr Uranus square his Sun now and into 2019; and in a disruptive square to his Sun/Pluto in June, also into 2019. Into next year tr Uranus squares his Pluto and is conjunct his Mars/Saturn midpoint – all of which looks storm-strewn. The President is largely a ceremonial position and there are calls for his impeachment but he could also choose to resign.
The really intriguing question is what is happening between Germany and the EU. The relationship chart has a blocked tr Saturn opposition the composite Pluto, picking up last month and again in the autumn, moving onto a separating conjunction to the composite Sun late this December and Mercury in 2019. Tr Uranus is square the composite financial Venus now and again in the autumn, and early 2019; square the composite Uranus in July to mid September this year and again in 2019; and then moves towards a convulsive angry opposition to Mars from May 2019 for a year. It’s unthinkable that Germany would bale but the very foundations of the bond are being shaken. Almost certainly due to Germany putting a freeze on liquidity, for which there have been growing demands recently, especially with the German economy slowing. And that would spell real trouble for the monetary union, perhaps of a terminal variety for the euro as it operates at the moment.
Marjorie, if the risks regarding Italian Economy that markets see here will realize, it will be much worse than 2011. The housing crisis in Italy alone will be horrendous. And I think someone has told so to the “main players” – thank you for the chart analysis! -, because the latest here is that Di Maio and Salvini would be trying to form Government, after all. So, basically, the drama seems meaningless for anything but shaking the markets (which could, in fact, benefit someone…).
It was first though sticking on Savona, when in fact Mattarella would have nominated Number Two of La Lega, might have been Salvini trying to get in pole position for new, anticipated Elections. But this obviously is not the case. Therefore, I’m thinking that maybe with that possibly 7th house Taurus Moon, he saw an opportunity in markets panicking? Could he really be that greedy? He is known for holding to an European Parliament Seat while being in Bruxelles very sporadically (he was reported to have the worst vote record of all Italian MEPs a couple of years ago). Here, he could have made serious money playing against Italian bonds (he would know his Soros, being into alt-right conspiracy theories). Otherwise, what strikes me at Salvini’s chart is that he can’t be very self aware with all that Pisces. I know someone in Italy born just a couple of days before. This is not a bad person, but he completely lacks self awareness. For instance, he is for tougher punishments for drug dealers, when he himself was caught with an amount that would have landed him to prison for 6-7 years if not for the very good lawyer his dad bought him. Also, this person is the main Salvini Fan on my Facebook timeline (nobody else really likes him, at all, and I have contacts who lean to Extreme Right).
For Mattarella, Indictment isn’t going to happen, according to Italian Constitutional Law specialists, even within M5S. If he goes before full term in 2021, it’s because he resigns. He probably wouldn’t before Elections if they Di Maio and Salvini fail to present a working Government. He has a remarkable family history, BTW, which could give that Sun/Pluto a different meaning. Some Sun/Plutos are controlling because they have to in order to survive. Mattarella’s father was an anti-fascist, which means he was a son of a dissident for the first 2 years of his life. He also was among founders of Democrazia Cristiana, and his brother, who was also a politician, was murdered by mafia. He then went to “clean” the Party, which was full of mafia puppets. He truly put his life. and the life of his family, at risk there. So, I do not think he cares about people being angry in the internet too much. I actually think that attacks on him could hurt M5S in South, there has been a Twitter backlash on this.
Di Maio is probably the lesser player here. He is already questioned within his own Movement, which does employ direct democracy. He is obviously trying to step up now, but is it too little, too late? There’s actually a history for Italian Parliament Electing a young and upcoming politician as President of Chamber of Deputies, and them then fading to background. Irene Pivetti was practically kicked out of then Lega Nord in the 1990’s for her opposition to Padanian Independence. If anything, Di Maio’s Pluto (square Mercury) on Italy’s 1946 Chart could give him some more staying power. But I’m just not convinced by this.
Mattarella, on the other hand, is a certifies toughie. That Sun/Pluto of his could actually refer to his family history more than anything: His father was an anti-fascist politician and one of the founders of Democrazia Cristiana. His brother, also a politician, was murdered by mafia. He himself took a task of “cleaning” Sicilian Democrazia Cristiana of mafia puppets in the 1980’s, meaning his life was in real danger, too. This would not be a person afraid of people being angry in the internet. He will not be indicted, per Italian Constitutional Law specialists, and this talk could actually go to hurt M5S in Sicily, a populous Region which M5S wan overwhelmingly the last time.
I hate to say it but as some one who was a ‘reluctant remainer ‘ it does play into the Brexiter’s hands if the European project implodes, and many of them will say ‘we told you so’.
I’m actually more worried about Euro than EU. Common markets are undoubtably beneficial to all European countries, and that needs common regulations. I’m not a fan of Euro, though. I would have voted “no” on it if given chance. But even a “controlled” backing out of euro would be incredibly risky for most euro countries, as well as new EU countries such as Poland.