Italy’s Confused Immunity Issues
One heck of a stink has blown up over the transformation of Italy’s senate from a 320 seat elected house into a 100 seat chamber of mayors and regional governors. The fuss, which has generated multiple buck passing, revolves around the question of immunity. In Italy where corruption in politics seems to be as commonplace as pizza, […]
Italy: People, Politics and Paper
The casual visitor to Italy may leave with the impression that Italians pay scant regard to the multiple laws, regulations and ordinances that regale daily life here. This is not surprising really, especially when you look at the examples set by Italy’s politicians. What you have to bear in mind is that Italy has only […]
Rogues of the Week: The Berlusconi PdL Party
Yes, this week, a whole Italian political party, Silvio Berlusconi’s personal PdL party gets nominated as Rogues of the Week. Why? Berlusconi’s PdL party is holding Italy to ransom to save the skin of one single very rich man. After the definitive final appeal hearing in the Berlusconi Mediaset tax fraud case was set for July […]
Italy’s Ever Right, Right and Its Sorry Left
Now, you might think, logically, that the difference between left and right wing politicians in Italy has something to do with ideologies, but it doesn’t. Instead, it’s got to do with how they react when they are caught doing something they should not. In Italy, you see, politicians on both sides of Italy’s often blurred political spectrum […]
Beppe Grillo’s Teenage Five Star Mayors
If you’ve been following the news from Italy recently, you will know that local elections took place this May. You may also have heard that the party, or rather, the movement, of Italian comic and activist Beppe Grillo made significant gains. Members of Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement have been elected as mayors in three […]
Clowns in Cool Britannia
I don’t know. I think politicians should be people we look up to. People who set an example to us all, not crooked rip off merchants.
Can Matteo Renzi be Italy’s Obama?
In Italy, famed for its ancient monuments, old is generally synonymous with good, and youthfulness is associated with immaturity and a lack of experience.
The Pirelli and Telecom Italia Mafia Godfather
Scandal hit Italy is walloped by yet another expose. If this were a Hollywood blockbuster, then the cast would be veritably star studded.
Of Earnings On-Line, Italian Politicians, and E-Mule
You may have heard that the outgoing Italian government played a little, er, joke on the Italian people. This amusing little end-of-party trick involved placing details of the declared earnings of every single Italian, who made a declaration back in 2006, on-line on a central government website for all to see. Funny little things like […]
