Mythes et représentations identitaires dans le discours politique italien : l'Europe et la nation (1979-1996)

Myths and ideas in italian political speeches : Europe and nation (1979-1996)

• Auteur / Autrice : Jean-Pierre Darnis
• Direction : Janine Menet-Genty
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Langues et littératures romanes italiennes
• Date : Soutenance en 1996
• Etablissement(s) : Paris 10

Résumé

Parmi les multiples interrogations qui emergent de la crise italienne, la question de la nation fait un retour en force. La nation italienne peut effectivement s'analyser comme un ensemble de croyances, qui parfois s'opposent, mais ont un caractere comparable: l'edification d'un passe, d'un present et d'un avenir communs, en somme, un destin national. Pour cette raison, l'etude des representations fournit un eclairage nouveau. Nous nous servons des differentes grammaires (les mythes et representations comportent des vocabulaires, des images, des symboles, des schemes et des arguments topiques) a travers lesquelles les partis politiques pensent l'europe et la nation. Il semble evident qu'a l'aune de la dynamique communautaire, ce genre de questionnements trouve sa place au sein de tous les pays europeens. La periode d'observation qui s'etend de 1979 a 1996, de la premiere campagne electorale placee sous le signe de l'europe au tout recent semestre de presidence italienne de l'union, nous permet d'approcher de facon eminemment contemporaine le debat italien sur l'identite, sans renoncer a une certaine profondeur historique. Si l'europe et la nation sont des themes constants, leur actualite subit des variations; notre periodisation a l'avantage d'en souligner les temps forts en italie (l'adhesion de la lire au sme, les quatre elections europeennes, la ratification du traite de maastricht, les menaces secessionnistes de la ligue et l'affirmation d'alleanza nazionale) et de comprendre egalement les moments d'inflechissement. Si l'attitude a l'egard de l'europe rassemble de plus en plus les familles politiques, la position vis-a-vis de l'unite nationale tend a condenser leurs ideologies. Les italiens ne cessent d'interroger le sens de leur nation, produit de representations en perpetuelle evolution, et cette remise en cause permanente renforce plus qu'elle n'affaiblit l'italie.

One of the main issues emerging in the wake of the italian crisis is that of nationhood. Nationhood in italy appears to be a set of sometimes conflicting beliefs which have a common denominator: the construction of a collective past, present and future a destiny for all italians. This is why the study of social ideas puts the issue in a new light. We analyse the various languages (these are myths and social ideas consisting of an assortment of words, images, symbols, frames of thought and recurrent themes) by means of which italian political parties address the issues of europe an of national identity. It seems obvious that this sort of issue is gaining importance as the e. U build up. Our analysis focuses on the period between 1979 and 1996, that is from the first campaign in which the idea of europe was discussed to the very recent six-month-period during which italy took over the presidency of the e. U. This allowed us to put in historical perspective the current debate on identity in italy. Themes of europe and nationhood were constantly discussed throughout the period under survey, even if they have not always been the issues of the day, the interest of the period chosen lies in the fact that it includes the key-moments (the lira becoming part of the ems, the signing of the maastricht treaty). But it incudes also the moment when it seemed less relevant. Thinking in italian political parties as tended to converge on the subject of europe while diverging and that of national identity. Italian have constantly discussed the meaning of their nationhood, as ideas on the subject have constantly changed, and this permanent re-examination has the effect of strengthening italy rather than weakening it.