In recent weeks the center of the political debate has been occupied almost entirely by the referendum on justice reform and the victory of the “No”. A result that had a clear political weight, full of meaning, capable of fueling immediate reactions, opposing interpretations and a heated confrontation between the political forces. The day after the vote, however, while politicians and the media continued to discuss the result, its implications and consequences on the balance of government, Italians seemed to have already turned the page.

“Turn over the page and move forward”

In a survey carried out in the days immediately following the referendum outcome, 74% of those interviewed declared that it was necessary to turn the page and move forward. Not out of disinterest in voting – also because participation was very high – but out of urgency towards one’s daily life. On the other hand, bills, salaries, medical visits, neighborhood safety cannot wait for political discussion. To feel the breath of society you need to enter the daily life of Italians, immerse yourself in what we call “lived life”, where priorities take shape from naked and concrete needs. It is in this dimension, which precedes and accompanies politics, that attention must be concentrated. Because it is there that people’s needs emerge, consensus is built and the solidity of a project is measured. And it is always there that the fragilities of proposals emerge with the same clarity which, too often, speak a language that people struggle to understand. Today’s priorities have been consolidated within a long phase marked by overlapping crises. Wars are certainly one of the most relevant factors of recent years. Italians live with conflicts that are only geographically distant, but which enter into everyday life through the cost of energy, inflation and rising prices. Alongside wars, other crises operate: difficulty in accessing healthcare, waiting lists, poor work, precariousness, the widespread perception of insecurity, urban decay.

Low cost of living and wages

When you ask Italians what the priorities of government action should be in the remainder of the legislature, an extremely clear picture emerges. In first place, almost unanimously, is the cost of living and the issue of low wages. It is a fact that alone explains a lot: the main concern is not political, but economic, daily, immediate. Immediately afterwards the theme of security emerges, expressed in its most concrete dimensions: crime, irregular immigration, urban decay. This is followed by work and healthcare, linked above all to the difficulty in accessing care. Priorities that are intertwined with a widespread feeling of uncertainty and with the perception of living in a permanent transition phase, without stable points of reference. In this scenario the challenge for politics is to reconnect. But reconnecting doesn’t simply mean being more present on social networks. On the contrary, communicative bulimia, in some cases, risks increasing the distance, transforming every serious problem into a simplified representation. The point is not to communicate more, but to understand better. It’s not about simplifying, but about restoring complexity and depth without losing clarity. And if the government is called to give concrete answers, the opposition has an equally important responsibility: to construct credible proposals consistent with the country’s priorities.

Health and safety

The problems that emerge — wages, health, safety — require immediate responses, but also vision, continuity and the ability to build over the long term. The priorities of Italians are stable and do not change with the media agenda because they concern primary needs: economic security, health, protection, quality of life. They look to the future because they are fundamental to being able to build life projects. These are the needs of a society that feels exposed, vulnerable, in some cases disoriented. In this context, a growing distance emerges between institutions and society. Not necessarily as a rupture, but as a gap that needs to be filled. And it is precisely in the ability to reduce this distance that an important part of the phase that has opened takes place. Finally, there is an element that cannot be ignored. Contemporary man is increasingly free in individual choices, but increasingly alone in managing the consequences. He is a seeker of community in a world that pushes him towards individualism. In this context, the question of politics is not just a question of solutions, but a question of belonging, of protection, of meaning. It is a time that requires listening skills from politicians, even before making decisions. Listening to real life, people’s deep needs, their fears and their expectations. Because when this listening weakens, people tend to distance themselves. And in distance it becomes more difficult to build collective identities and a sense of belonging. There is a significant part of the country, often silent, which expresses the need to be listened to, recognised, called by name. That’s where the game is played. Not in the noise of public debate, but in the ability to give voice to what still struggles to be heard.