2018 – A Big Year For Italy
While it may not be apparent, 2018 is going to be an important year for Italy. In March, general elections are to be held. Nobody knows who might win but the leaders of the political pack are the upstart Five Star Movement and, would you believe it, a hotchpotch far to moderate right wing alliance […]
Donald Trump, Silvio Berlusconi. National Security Risks?
Way back in 2010, I wrote about Silvio Berlusconi’s predilection for bunga bunga and ladies of the night posing a potential national security risk for Italy – see no. 11. Well, it seems US President-elect Mr Donald ‘Golden Shower’ Trump, if the stories are true, may also pose a national security risk too. Italy never took Mr […]
Thoughts on Italy’s 2015 Regional Election Results
Stephen Lusher, the former Australian politician who contributes to Italy Chronicles, found the results of recent regional elections somewhat perplexing. He asked me for my opinion on the outcome, so here are my thoughts for Stephen and anyone else who is interested. First of all, voter turnout. At around 50%, it was hardly spectacular but one […]
Berlusconi Sings a Renzi Attacking Swan Song
Speaking at a regional election rally, former Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi criticized the violence with which current Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi has been forcing his will on Italy’s parliament. Mr Berlusconi has also accused Mr Renzi leading Italy down an authoritarian path, which, it has to be said, is more or less what he himself wanted […]
Italy: Bickering as Usual but Some Signs of Recovery
As tends to be the case within the wonderfully warped world of Italian politics, everyone is arguing with one another. On what passes for the Italy’s political left, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is in the midst of a spat with former leader Pier Luigi Bersani who’s not at all happy with Mr Renzi’s bulldozer approach to […]
Italy’s President Napolitano Resigns
Today, and as expected, Giorgio Napolitano is no longer the president of Italy. This, of course, means Italy needs another president, though for now, nobody has any idea who the next president of Italy will be. It is likely that there’s a secret short list of candidates and Mr Napolitano may not have resigned until […]
The Sneaky Save Silvio Berlusconi Clause
In legislation hastily passed on Christmas Eve in Italy, a person, or persons unknown, slipped in a clause which could permit tax fraud convict and former Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi’s return to the center stage of politics in Italy. A Christmas present? Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano noticed the suspiciously friendly clause which had been […]
Convict Berlusconi Goes Fishing
Today, convict Silvio Berlusconi had lunch with Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Guess what was most likely on the menu? No, not fish, although it could have been, but Berlusconi’s return to politics. The law which is keeping Mr Berlusconi out of politics has recently been challenged, successfully, by the Mayor of Naples who temporarily […]
What’s Italy’s Matteo Renzi Up To? 160,000 Italians Would Like to Know.
In certain quarters, the indecent haste with which Italy’s prime minister Matteo Renzi wants to rush through reforms to Italy’s constitution is ringing alarm bells. ‘Authoritarianism’ is a word being bandied around in Italy at the moment. Over 160,000 Italians have now signed an anti ‘theft of democracy’ petition on the website of Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. […]
