Why Five Star Movement Attempts to Form a New Government for Italy are Failing
Two words: Silvio Berlusconi. If it weren’t for Silvio Berlusconi’s intransigence, Lega leader, Matteo Salvini, and the leader of Italy’s Five Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, would have formed a new government by now. Silvio Berlusconi has blocked such a coalition though. He has also intimated to Matteo Salvini that if his party is excluded […]
How Inefficient is Italy? Grossly.
Italy’s nightmarish bureaucracy and dysfunctional political system are legendary. Well, they do say there’s often more than a grain of truth in legends and the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2014 – 2015 contains not one but several grains of truth. In terms of government efficiency and effectiveness, out of the 144 nation’s assessed by the World […]
How can the International Community Prevent Italy from Funding terrorism?
The good news is that a couple of young Italian women who had been kidnapped, reportedly by Al Nusra, the Syrian arm of Al Qaeda, have been freed. Their families will be relieved. Then there’s the not so good news. Reportedly, and as tends to be the case when Italian’s are kidnapped overseas, a ransom was […]
Chaos on the Horizon for Italy?
There are noises in Italy’s press that after Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party’s very poor showing in recent regional elections – Mr Berlusconi’s party was beaten by the Lega Nord – Silvio Berlusconi is considering ending his Nazarenzo pact with Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Whether this will actually happen remains to be seen but if […]
The Pact Between Italy’s Premier Renzi and Convict Berlusconi Creaks
At the start of this year, soon after his appointment, Italy’s current, unelected, premier, entered into an agreement with former prime minister of Italy and convicted tax fraud Silvio Berlusconi. Said pact now risks coming to a creaky end. Known as the Nazereno Pact, this agreement is supposed to ensure the members of Silvio Berlusconi’s […]
Is Italy About to Bid Farewell to Mr President Napolitano?
Rumours are growing in Italy that the nation’s president, Giorgio Napolitano, is to step down. That 89 year old Mr Napolitano has neither confirmed not denied the rumours is fuelling speculation. Really though, Italy should never have ended up with Giorgio Napolitano as president for a second term. He returned to the presidential seat of Italy […]
Italy – More Announcements, A Spat with a Finn, and Unhappy Teachers
In the wonderful world of Italian politics, last week was hectic. As usual though, not much was achieved. Here’s a round up of some of the more noteworthy happenings. While it’s mostly grim, this summary of goings-on in Italy does end on a positive note. That Italy’s government is short of cash is no secret, […]
The Reform Process in Italy which Doesn’t
It’s reform time in Italy! Well, that’s what Italy’s government is touting. Pretty words are being spread around Italy’s media like rose scented petals. Big promises are as common as mozzarella topped pizzas. The trouble is, many of Italy’s so-called reforms simply do not reform a thing. In fact, quite often, they make matters which […]
Which Way Now For Italy?
Trying to understand just which way Italy is going to head now is not at all easy. In theory after the recent revelation that Italy’s economy has slipped into yet another recession – its third, incidentally, one might expect Italy’s premier Renzi to change tack. Whether Renzi will remains to be seen though he will have […]
