by Maximiliano Crocamo
On a breezy Saturday along the Adriatic, the former British prime minister Boris Johnson arrived in Trieste with a message that was at once cautionary and upbeat — a familiar duality for a politician known as much for his rhetoric as for his resilience.
Johnson was in the city as a featured guest of the Link Media Festival, where he headlined an event titled “Il mondo verso l’ora più buia, un’altra volta” — “The world toward its darkest hour, once again.” The framing suggested urgency, even foreboding. Yet in person, Johnson struck a lighter, almost jovial tone.Asked about the core message of his address, Johnson emphasized the strength of ties between London and Rome. “We’re very lucky,” he said, noting that relations between the United Kingdom and Italy are “incredibly good right now,” despite the shifting political landscape across Europe.There were flashes of humor, too. At one point, Johnson teased the Italian journalist Marco Zatterin for attempting to coax him into more controversial remarks. He acknowledged the “temptations,” as he put it, but insisted he had managed to avoid saying anything undiplomatic.Still, the underlying theme of his appearance — a world edging toward renewed instability — lingered beneath the surface. Though he did not dwell on specifics in this exchange, the title of his talk evoked echoes of past crises and a sense that global tensions may once again be intensifying.In Trieste, a city historically shaped by the push and pull of empires, borders and identities, the message carried a certain resonance. Johnson, for his part, seemed keenly aware of the setting. “We love Trieste,” he said, repeating the sentiment with emphasis, before thanking his hosts.
