Almost exactly six years ago.
It was January 18, 2018. Alexey Navalny had just been definitively excluded from running for the Kremlin by the Russian Supreme Court.
He agreed to give an interview to ANSA in which many things were talked about: the relationship with Italy, Europe, considered as a model, and also death, never too far away for those involved in independent politics in the Russia of Vladimir Putin.
On that occasion Navalny said that he would never give up.
"As a husband, father and citizen I cannot accept that a movement that has millions of supporters is excluded from the construction of the future of my country: Putin's consensus, in front of real candidates, dissolves, believe me. Vladimir Putin has chosen to stay in power with the formula of president for life and is building a feudal system based on family clans, which now control 85% of our economy.
Independent political activity in Russia carries risks but I move forward, there is no 'alternative: we fight for our right to participate in building Russia's future: I will never give up,' he stressed.
Navalny - and this is perhaps an unprecedented aspect - was sincerely emotional when talking about Europe in general and the European Union specifically.
"Yes, it can be said that I am politically inspired by Europe. The American model is unique, difficult to replicate. Russians are Europeans, our identity says so, and Russia should become a leading country in Europe. The EU, despite its problems, it has been able to give a stable life to its citizens. This third vision of Putin's ideology, a Russia different from Europe and Asia, which must develop autonomously, is harmful, as well as false.
The Russian elites have their children studying there, it's all a smokescreen to mask their true interests."
When he addressed the topic of relations between Russia and Italy his words became clear and precise: "I would like your country to be a little more friendly to our people and a little less to oligarchs and the corrupt. Italy - he said - it is a privileged destination for dirty money stolen here in Russia: these are investments that bring with them corruption and organized crime. I think you don't need it, yours is already enough."
A reasoning which, politically, should have translated, according to him, into a more "active" position on individual European and American sanctions against 'friends of the Putin circle'.
"I - he added - grew up with the Sanremo festival and Italian comedies and for me, who was born in the times of the Soviet Union, the West was also and above all that".
"For six years - he continued - I could not leave Russia because I was not issued a passport to travel abroad. They only did so when I had to go to Barcelona to have surgery on my eye (after being hit in the face from an acidic substance and having suffered serious damage, ed.). And while I was in Barcelona an idea tortured me: is it possible that I will never be able to visit Rome? If they don't take away my passport I will try to go there".
A wish that Navalny could not fulfill.
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