Protests against umbrellas in Italian beaches
Striking at the beach - it's happening in Italy. With a "beach umbrella protest", powerful family owners of private beaches are making a stand against Rome and the EU. It's all about big money.
August has always been the month when they make the most money in Ostia. At the "Tibidabo", one of the beautiful old baths on the city beach of Rome, opened in 1935, they often put up the sign "Ombrelloni esauriti" at the cash desk in the morning: no beach umbrellas left, everything booked until evening. In Italy, it's recommended to be at the sea by nine in the morning these days. But it's quite possible that this won't help on this Friday.
In the middle of the main season, the owners of many of the country's 7,200 beach baths, the stabilimenti balneari, want to go on strike for the first time: initially only in the morning for two and a half hours. But if the government of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni doesn't budge, the baths will remain closed for half a day in mid-August, still in the holiday season, and for a whole day at the end of the month. The background is an EU directive that Italy has been dodging for almost 20 years.
Looking down on foreigners with towels
For the millions of holidaymakers on the more than 7,500 kilometers of Mediterranean coast, such a strike would not necessarily be a catastrophe. But it would be a nuisance for many. The beach lounger (Italian: lettino) and the beach umbrella (ombrellone) are, so to speak, part of the national cultural heritage. Foreigners who simply spread out a towel on a rock or stone are looked down upon - even if it's only from 20 centimeters above.
The more comfortable position has its price. Last year, the average daily rental price for two loungers and an umbrella was 30 euros nationwide, according to the national bathing observatory - which exists. There are hardly any limits to the prices: several hundred euros are paid in beach clubs in Tuscany or on the Amalfi coast. Many families have become very rich with their stabilimenti.
Beaches actually belong to the state
In fact, Italy's coast belongs to the state - i.e. to everyone. However, more than half of the beaches are rented to private individuals, often for decades, often under the table and often at ridiculous prices. Some call it cronyism, others mafia structures.
On average, a lessee pays about 8,200 euros per year for the concession. The revenues are much higher. The Centre for European Policy (CEP) recently calculated an average annual turnover of 260,000 euros per bath based on figures from 2016 to 2020. Other estimates are much higher - especially since a lot of beach money probably slips through the tax net.
Most Italians have accepted that they have to pay a lot for their time at the sea. "I don't know anything else," says Giulia Toninelli, a civil servant from Rome, on her lounger in the "Tibidabo". "I've been coming here with my parents, now with my children. That's just the price." However, there are also some who are no longer satisfied with the old system. The writer Manuela Salvi rails against "beaches like battery cages, where the chickens have to pay for their stay too". So far, however, protests have been limited.
The status quo is at risk in another way: due to an EU directive that should have been implemented as early as 2006. According to this directive, state concessions for beach sections must be regularly re-tendered because they are public property - something that various governments in Rome have repeatedly delayed. One of the arguments is that one must prevent foreign corporations from having a say at the beach instead of Italian families, as happened two years ago in the Gulf of Trieste, where the energy drink giant Red Bull secured 120,000 square meters. However, nationwide tenders are now set to begin in January 2025.
Disappointment with Meloni
One of the biggest critics of the EU directive, when she was still in opposition, was the current Prime Minister Meloni. Therefore, the disappointment among beach concessionaires is now profound. Antonio Capacchione, president of the industry association Sindacato Italiano Balneari, complains: "The government has done nothing for two years. We sent eight letters requesting a meeting - without a response. What else can we do but strike?"
Hence, the first "sciopero degli ombrelloni" ("umbrella strike") in Italian history - although some details are still unclear. It is certain that the cash registers will open later in the morning. Possibly, regular customers will be allowed to set up their own lounger and umbrella. Others may bridge the waiting time with an espresso. By the way, the price for the lounger and umbrella remains unchanged despite the strike, with the usual daily rate applying.
Despite the impending "umbrella strike" by many private beach owners, the millions of tourists along Italy's Mediterranean coast aren't expected to face a major inconvenience. However, for regular visitors like Giulia Toninelli, the increased costs associated with rental loungers and umbrellas are accepted as part of the cultural heritage. Conversely, some tourists who spread towels on rocks or stones may face criticism from locals for not adhering to the traditional practice.
