Famous quotes

Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,269 quotes Who coined it · How we decide

English Italiano Polski עברית Français Português فارسی Español 中文 Русский Deutsch العربية हिन्दी 日本語 Ελληνικά Latina

Pier Luigi Bersani

34 quotes

“What's more, reformism must also include elements of radicalism. The environment, equality, peace: why does a reformist always have to have a rifle in their hand? Why should we accept the highest income inequality in Europe?”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When it comes to the big picture, I also consider myself quite green. [...] For me, the environment is the paradigm for growth, innovation and investment. It is the driving force behind development, and I take issue with those who make it an obstacle. [...] And then there are elements of radicalism that must be part of reformism. The environment, equality, peace: why does a reformist always have to be holding a rifle? Why should we accept the highest income inequality in Europe?”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Whether it's a law, a procedure for building a road, or any kind of permit, the decision must be made within a set timeframe: it's either a yes or a no. Democracy was invented as a mechanism for making decisions through participation, not for participating regardless of the decisions.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“An ancient tradition like the crucifix cannot be offensive to anyone. I think that on sensitive issues like this, common sense sometimes ends up being the victim of the law.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“(About Emmma Bonino She's a woman who defies stereotypes. She's a champion. That's how I see her.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I wouldn't want Chávez to emerge after Berlusconi. Either parliament regains its role, or there will be no freedom for anyone.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Berlusconi government is focused solely on staying in power by any means necessary. It will try to stay afloat by snatching a few votes and spreading poison, such as the rumour that PD leaders are ready to defect to him, thereby revealing the worst side of politics. Anyone who does not want to give in to this drift must take responsibility for not only being against Berlusconi , but for going further.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I see that the Terzo Polo has been launched with a certain urgency in order to fend off Berlusconi's siren calls. I understand them; their fear is well-founded. However, if they are aiming to play a role in influencing the centre-right, they will soon have to accept that this is an illusion.Berlusconi doesn't negotiate; he buys.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[...] There is a problem that mainly affects us: the primaries for the local elections. They can hinder more open and broader relationships, not only with political parties but also with civil society. And they can introduce elements of division within the PD that are not good for anyone. Therefore, they need to be reformed.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“(About the Democratic Party) We are a flexible party, but precisely for that reason, we do not break.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Berlusconi cannot treat us all like fools, and his attacks on the judiciary are shameful and unacceptable. Compared to Berlusconi, Ben Ali is nothing. We can't expect anything from Berlusconi. We need a groundswell of public opinion, because not all Italians are like him. We need to shake things up, because those people are clinging on like a limpet to a rock.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I commit myself and my party to advancing the federalist process, in dialogue with the Lega. Whatever the political developments. Let's look beyond Berlusconi, but let's preserve the pro-autonomy perspective.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I believe that, throughout history, there have always been two genuine pro-autonomy forces in this country, albeit with different and even opposing positions: the Democratic Party and the Lega.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I don't need anyone to tell me that the Lega is not racist: I know that for myself. However, saying ‘everyone in their own country’ does not reflect the modern world.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I say that the Lega is not racist, but be careful: encouraging certain impulses can lead to racism.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If Gelmini were a real minister, instead of bending over backwards to defend Berlusconi, she would have to acknowledge the unacceptable attacks she has made on teachers and the state school system , and she would have to resign.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“(About Angelino Alfano) But is he the party's secretary or the secretary of the party's leader?”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If Berlusconi took a step back for every investigation involving him, he would already be in Ancona.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Today, Democrats bow their flags (in honour of Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, who led our country through one of its most difficult periods and defended our institutions in the midst of one of our most serious crises. He did so with a determination, a clarity and a composure that are impossible to forget. [...] As Italians and as democrats, we owe him infinite gratitude and have a great duty: not to abandon his battles, and to always remember that ours is the most beautiful constitution in the world.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We've all [politicians and journalists] been here for twenty years; it's time to get the hell out of here.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[After Silvio Berlusconi's resignation] Today is Italy's day of liberation.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[Referring to Silvio Berlusconi] We'll take the jaguar down a peg.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Either we win or they win; that's how it works – whoever gets there first wins.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We want a Europe built on appropriate transfers of sovereignty, with the euro area as its driving force.[20]”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You'll see in the rules I'll be presenting, if I'm able to present them, Ok?... So, let's say, regarding the new structure of our political system and the safeguards, you'll see strict rules on compatibility, ineligibility and the right to stand for office. For me, the idea is: let's get going again.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“After the turkey on the roof, the cow in the corridor and the jaguar that needs its stains removed, I'll have completed the zoo in five years (18 February 2013).”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“(Referring to the Renzi government, which put a vote of confidence on the so-called "Italicum") A government does not put its confidence in democracy. A serious precedent is being set. I won't be voting in favour of this confidence motion.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I'm more liberal than Renzi – there's absolutely no doubt about that.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Is creative finance about to be extended to households through the DPEF? After all the securitisation that has gone on over the last few years, Tremonti has already shown he is capable of selling his house to pay for petrol; now he wants to convince Italian families to do the same. If the rumours circulating were indeed included in the DPEF, at least one thing would be clear: once the government's efforts are over, Minister Tremonti would certainly have what it takes to become a door-to-door financial adviser.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I say this to all my comrades: don't settle for a pigeon in the hand; let's go and get the turkey.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Giuseppe Conte is the only possible prime minister at the moment. Anyone who wants to settle accounts with him will have to wait a bit – as they say, they'll have to hold back their orgasm.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“(About Roberto Vannacci's book Il mondo al contrario) When you read that sort of thing, you think: "Ok, let's dissolve the army, let's dissolve the institutions, and let's set up a huge bar: Bar Italia, right?”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The left is the idea that, if you look at the world through the eyes of the most vulnerable, you can truly create a better world for everyone [...]. If a few people have too much and too many people have too little, the economy doesn't work, because injustice is bad for the economy. We want a market that works, without monopolies, cartels or dominant positions, but there are some things that cannot be left to the market: health, education and security. Work isn't everything, but only those who have work can say that [...] When faced with a serious health problem, there can be no poor, no rich, no Calabrians, no Lombards, no Moroccans: we do what we can with what we have, but we do it for everyone. A teacher who chases after a child to keep them in school is a hero of our time; undermining the state school system means stealing the future from the most vulnerable. A country's civilisation is measured by the status of its women: to trample on their dignity is to humiliate a country [...]. There is a way to defend everyone's faith, to safeguard everyone's beliefs, and to recognise everyone's status: this indispensable way is called secularism. To drive a car, which is a public matter, you need a driving licence, which is a private matter; to govern, which is a public matter, you need to be a good person, which is a private matter. Those who consider themselves left-wing or progressive must keep alive the dream of a world at peace, free from hatred and violence, and must fight against the death penalty, torture, any other form of physical or moral oppression, and all forms of illegality: being progressive means fighting the aggression that lives within us – the aggression of the strong against the weak, of men against women, of those who have power against those who do not – and standing up for those who have less strength and less voice. My time is up here, but my list is certainly not finished. Thank you.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I support the left that stands for equality, equal dignity and protecting the interests of the most vulnerable. He [Renzi] will represent the left of opportunities, of excellence, and of whatever else makes a show. I don't believe in it, especially now. Twenty years ago, though, I could believe in it, and I supported it too, because I had a connection to a particular situation, because everyone was benefiting as globalisation took off. Now, how can we fail to see what has happened in society? Let's face the reality, shall we? And I'm on the left in the sense that I can't stand to see such an appalling level of inequality. For me, that's what the left stands for. I'm not saying he's not on the left, but these days, words are being stretched like chewing gum.”
Pier Luigi Bersani (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source