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Italy’s Dodgy Christian Democrats – Still Around Today

Back in the early to mid 90s one heck of a furore erupted in Italy and led to the now infamous bribesville and clean hands scandals which appeared to bring the domination of politics in Italy by the Christian Democrats to an end. Only in reality, this did not happen. Italy’s justice system has been […]

Italy Corruption Watch 2014

There are lots of lucrative troughs for the corrupt in Italy

New for 2014 on Italy Chronicles, a post dedicated to recording instances of actual and suspected corruption in Italy. In Italy, alas, corruption is a major problem which penetrates politics and business as well as damaging Italy’s economy and dissuading foreign direct investment. While Italy has acknowledged a problem exists and is attempting to sort […]

Corruption Situation in Italy Worsens

Italy has slipped three places in the Transparency International 2012 Global Corruption Perception index and is now in 72nd place. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be.  Italy, it seems, is perceived as being very corrupt.  Indeed, Italy’s public sector is perceived as being the most corrupt major economy in Europe. While measures are […]

ILVA or How Corruption Kills Italians and Italy’s Economy

The huge ILVA steelworks in Taranto is in the midst of a huge storm and risks closure. If the ILVA steel plant shuts down, Italy’s GDP could fall by 0.5%. An estimated 80,000 jobs in the area may go if the plant closes. The ILVA tempest came about after 30 years of cover-ups tried to […]

The IdV – Italy’s Honest Political Party which isn’t, Maybe

Founded by ex-Italian magistrate Antonio Di Pietro, the Italian Values – Italia dei Valori (IdV) party stands for honesty and integrity.  The IdV party is also staunchly anti-corruption. Now, Di Pietro is facing allegations that he embezzled money from his party to construct a property empire – something which the Italian politician vehemently denies.  He […]

Tangentopoli Two Hits Italy

Justice Minister Paola Severino is convinced that Tangentopoli Two is in progress in Italy now. The corruption situation today is worse than at the time the original Tangentopoli scandal which rocked Italy’s political foundations back in the early to mid 1990s, or so Justice Minister Severino believes.  The minister also said Italy desperately needs anti-corruption laws. Tangentopoli, which is sometimes translated […]

How Democracy Does not Work in Italy

Italy is, on paper at least, a constitutional democracy. Expensive general elections are regular events in Italy mainly because governments don’t last too long.  While lots of votes may be cast, not all of them reflect the true desires of voters as many of them have been told who to vote for. That votes have […]

The ILVA Scandal – An Economic Catastrophe Waiting to Happen

The saga of the polluting ILVA steelworks in Taranto in Italy’s south is smouldering on.  While magistrates have seized a major chunk of the huge steelworks considered to be a danger to public health, the owners have been doing their level best to attempt to keep the plant from being shut down. Italy’s government has expressed concern over the […]

The Catastrophic of Cost Corruption: The Taranto Scandal

Corruption Can Kill

The social cost of corruption can be enormous, as the Italian region of Puglia may be about to discover.  The possible closure of a steelworks in Taranto which I wrote about recently may prove to be a catastrophe for the area’s local economy and put tens of thousands out of work, all because rules and regualtions were […]