Why Does a “Clown” Frighten So Many?
Political elites and the media around Europe must have lost their collective senses of humor: they call Beppe Grillo a “comedian” or a “clown”, but nobody is laughing at his words. The past week after a significant electoral result for Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement (M5s), the entire world is looking at Italy with concern. There […]
Thoughts on Italy’s 2014 European Elections Results
With the European election result now in, Italy learnt that nearly 41% of those who voted opted for prime minister Matteo Renzi’s Partito Democratico (PD) party. Curiously, and despite surveys which indicated growing euroscepticism, Italy, unlike France and the UK, did not opt for a eurosceptic party. Beppe Grillo’s eurosceptic 5 Star Movement did not do anywhere […]
Reform, Not Austerity will bring Recovery in Europe
This contributor, and former Australian politician, has long thought the problem in Europe is about structure not liquidity. If this analysis is correct the answers lie more in structural reform than in firewalls and sovereign bailouts. However well-intentioned it may be the German led austerity response approaches the issue from the wrong end. Banks may […]
Monti Earns Respect for Italy
Mario Monti is beginning to reassert Italy’s role as a respected central player in Europe. As this observer has hoped, Monti is building on his meaningful domestic reform program and is making his presence felt in European forums. His contribution is a positive one and deserves to be taken seriously. Bloomberg reports today that Monti […]
How Happy is Italy? The Gallup Survey
While happiness may not be one of the most scientific measures of how well a country is doing, it is a pretty practical indicator of how good, or not, life in a particular country is. Major survey and poll company Gallup appears to agree – hence its 2011 survey. It could also be argued that […]