Italy in Crisis?
Italy has many problems: inflation, umemployment, corruption, piles of refuse and last, but not least, an unstable political situation. Is change in the offing?
euro|topics-Dossiers
Main focus of Thursday, 31. January 2008
In the wake of the fall of Romano Prodi's government last week, Italy's president Giorgio Napolitano opted for the solution of appointing an interim government ... » more
In the wake of the fall of Romano Prodi's government last week, Italy's president Giorgio Napolitano opted for the solution of appointing an interim government on January 30. It will hold office for the next few months. Headed by Franco Marini, currently speaker of the Senate, its task will be to reform the electoral system ahead of new elections.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Stéphane Bussard
Main focus of Friday, 25. January 2008
Romano Prodi, head of the Italian government, lost a vote of confidence held in the Senate on January 24th (161 votes against him and 156 ... » more
Romano Prodi, head of the Italian government, lost a vote of confidence held in the Senate on January 24th (161 votes against him and 156 in his favour) and handed in his resignation. President Giorgio Napolitano now has to decide whether to call a snap election or whether to form a transitional government for a few months.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
Main focus of Wednesday, 23. January 2008
A small party this week withdrew from the ruling coalition so threatening its survival. Head of government Romano Prodi is seeking a vote of confidence ... » more
A small party this week withdrew from the ruling coalition so threatening its survival. Head of government Romano Prodi is seeking a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, January 23rd. He will do the same in the Senate the following day. Can he still be sure of enough support to continue in office ?
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Luis Racionero
Main focus of Wednesday, 9. January 2008
The southern Italian city of Naples is mired in trash which hasn't been removed for weeks. Now, Prime Minister Romano Prodi wants to bring in ... » more
The southern Italian city of Naples is mired in trash which hasn't been removed for weeks. Now, Prime Minister Romano Prodi wants to bring in the army to solve the problem.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Tobias Piller
Main focus of Thursday, 8. November 2007
Italy is taking a hard line against Romanians and the Roma following the deathly attack on an italian woman by a Romanian of Roma origin. ... » more
Italy is taking a hard line against Romanians and the Roma following the deathly attack on an italian woman by a Romanian of Roma origin. Romano Prodi's government wants to pass a security package permitting the deportation of EU citizens with a criminal record. Does this contravene the EU principle of freedom of movement?
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Migration, » Italy, » Romania
Main focus of Tuesday, 16. October 2007
On Sunday October 14th, Walter Vertroni, Mayor of Rome, was voted leader of Italy's new Democratic Party (DP) by a sweeping majority. The 52-year-old is now the bearer of great hopes: » more
On Sunday October 14th, Walter Vertroni, Mayor of Rome, was voted leader of Italy's new Democratic Party (DP) by a sweeping majority. The 52-year-old is now the bearer of great hopes: as a member of the governing coalition he is to help reform the political system. Can he succeed?
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Martin Langeder
Main focus of Friday, 23. February 2007
Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi has resigned following the government's defeat in a Senate vote. European commentators see this as a symtom of the general ... » more
Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi has resigned following the government's defeat in a Senate vote. European commentators see this as a symtom of the general crisis in Italian politics, which over the years has been plagued by a fragmented political constellation and short periods of government.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
Main focus of Thursday, 2. November 2006
A series of assasinations and mafia paybacks have been bloodying the streets of the biggest city in Southern Italy over the past week. As the ... » more
A series of assasinations and mafia paybacks have been bloodying the streets of the biggest city in Southern Italy over the past week. As the Italian State is organising attempts to stem crime, even talking about recourse to the army, the press is focusing on the poverty of the Neapolitan population, from which the local mafia knows how to profit.
More from the press review on the subject » Italy
Main focus of Tuesday, 27. June 2006
A referendum on constitutional reforms mooted by Silvio Berlusconi while he was still in office was rejected by 61.3% of Italians in a two-day referendum ... » more
A referendum on constitutional reforms mooted by Silvio Berlusconi while he was still in office was rejected by 61.3% of Italians in a two-day referendum on June 25 and 26. The reform called for granting more power to the regions and the prime minister.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
Main focus of Wednesday, 12. April 2006
Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition eked out the narrowest of victories against Silvio Berlusconi's camp in legislative elections, claiming a razor-thin majority in the Senate of ... » more
Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition eked out the narrowest of victories against Silvio Berlusconi's camp in legislative elections, claiming a razor-thin majority in the Senate of 158 seats to 156. Several European newspapers point to a similarity between this electoral scenario and the political situation in other European countries.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
Elections in Italy
La Repubblica - Italy | Wednesday, 13. February 2008
As the election campaign starts out in Italy, the question of abortion is already emerging as a hot-button issue. On February 11th, the leader of ... » more
As the election campaign starts out in Italy, the question of abortion is already emerging as a hot-button issue. On February 11th, the leader of the right, Silvio Berlusconi said he would like the UN to impose a moratorium on the subject. On the 12th, the police caused a stir at a Napolese hospital after interrogating a woman who had just had an abortion for medical reasons. Francesco Merlo weighs in. "What would these seven officers have done if they had arrived during the operation instead of immediately afterwards? Would they have left the fetus inside this woman? ... This event reminds me of a story invented to show the idiocy of pro-life activists, to demonstrate to what lengths they will go in the name of a noble principle. ... Let's hope that this horrible episode in Naples will serve to show everyone the poverty of a vision that attributes the mad desire to abort to the left, and the defense of life to the right, in our pitiful country."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Health and Medicine, » Italy
All available articles from » Francesco Merlo
La Repubblica - Italy | Tuesday, 12. February 2008
On Sunday, February 10th, Walter Veltroni, leader of the Democratic Party (PD, centre-left), launched his campaign for Prime Minister in the lead-up to legislative elections ... » more
On Sunday, February 10th, Walter Veltroni, leader of the Democratic Party (PD, centre-left), launched his campaign for Prime Minister in the lead-up to legislative elections expected on April 13-14. For Marc Lazar, "the 2008 elections will not resemble previous ones, and may be the signal of the start of normalisation in Italy, after a decade of rather chaotic transition. The promised change is due to the birth of the Democratic Party. ... [Veltroni's] victorious election as leader of the Democratic Party on October 14 bought him popular legitimacy. Walter Veltroni took advantage of this situation to build up the stature of a responsible leader, new, relatively young (even though he's been involved in politics for a long time) and hungry to speak directly with the people. ... Veltroni has clearly confirmed his desire to avoid centring the identity of the new party on anti-Berlusconism."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Marc Lazar
La Repubblica - Italy | Wednesday, 21. November 2007
Silvio Berlusoni has created a fracture within his own camp by announcing the creation of his new party. Edmondo Berselli ponders the tumultuous events that ... » more
Silvio Berlusoni has created a fracture within his own camp by announcing the creation of his new party. Edmondo Berselli ponders the tumultuous events that have been affecting the Italian right over these past few days. "Gianfranco Fini [leader of the National Alliance], for whom Berlusconi's project is a mere media stunt, has thrown down the gauntlet on television... . The situation of the late centre right is spectacular. In Germany, this would be called 'Götterdämmerung', the Wagnerian Dusk of the Gods, which we would more prosaically call a wasteland. ... There is now a real conflict between Fini and Berlusconi. The explosive invention of the Italian People's Party for Freedom, the complete overhaul of Forza Italia [The right-wing coalition], the opting for proportional representation and the weakening of left-right divide is making it difficult for other parties to exist."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Edmondo Berselli
La Stampa - Italy | Wednesday, 31. October 2007
"Walter Veltroni, the leader of the new left-wing party in Italy [PD, democratic party], is being given an enthusiastic welcome by both his friends and his foes", notes the editorialist Andrea Romano. Veltromania is at last a solution to the fatal crisis of Italian political parties. ... Unlike in Italy, parties created during the 20th century in the rest of the world or at least in Europe, have managed to function. In the UK and in France, Germany and Spain, big organisations, both progressive and conservative, have managed to impose their leadership and adopt innovative political programmes through traditional, though vital mechanisms: » more
"Walter Veltroni, the leader of the new left-wing party in Italy [PD, democratic party], is being given an enthusiastic welcome by both his friends and his foes", notes the editorialist Andrea Romano. Veltromania is at last a solution to the fatal crisis of Italian political parties. ... Unlike in Italy, parties created during the 20th century in the rest of the world or at least in Europe, have managed to function. In the UK and in France, Germany and Spain, big organisations, both progressive and conservative, have managed to impose their leadership and adopt innovative political programmes through traditional, though vital mechanisms: the confrontation of ideas, militant participation, personal selection and the evacuation of losers. These mechanisms were wiped out in Italy in the early 1990s and were never been revived."
» to the homepage (external link, La Stampa)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Andrea Romano
La Stampa - Italy | Monday, 8. October 2007
"The number of Italian politicial parties increases monthly, weekly, and now, daily," writes columnist Luca Ricolfi. After the Grillo list (named after the famous Italian ... » more
"The number of Italian politicial parties increases monthly, weekly, and now, daily," writes columnist Luca Ricolfi. After the Grillo list (named after the famous Italian comedian Beppe Grillo), the Liberty Party, and the National Civic List of the so-called 'girotondini', former prime minister Lamberto Dini has announced the birth of a new party dubbed 'Liberaldemocratici', while the Socialist Party is 'refounding' itself yet again. "Why all this activism?... Italy is the champion of 'single-issue' parties. We have an environment party, a secular party, a housewives' party ... not to mention the countless regional formations. Single-issue parties are to be found in other modern countries, but only Italy has so many artificial parties, brought into being in the laboratories of the political, economic, and intellectual elites."
» full article (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Luca Ricolfi
La Stampa - Italy | Thursday, 20. September 2007
The editorialist Augusto Minzolini considers the emergence of Beppe Grillo in Italian public life. "The comedian masterminded the Vday demonstration organised on September 8th to campaign against corruption in politics. He has since announced that he will be recommending candidates in the next municipal elections scheduled for 2011. "Henceforth the Grillo phenomenon will be followed closely by the all polling organisations. One clear fact that is emerging is that the man is very popular among centre-left and far-left voters. ... He has become an icon for those who voted for the current government, but are increasingly unsatisfied with it and feel culturally incapable of swinging to the centre-right or seeking refuge in abstention. ... All of this uproar makes progress in the political sphere appear more likely: » more
The editorialist Augusto Minzolini considers the emergence of Beppe Grillo in Italian public life. "The comedian masterminded the Vday demonstration organised on September 8th to campaign against corruption in politics. He has since announced that he will be recommending candidates in the next municipal elections scheduled for 2011. "Henceforth the Grillo phenomenon will be followed closely by the all polling organisations. One clear fact that is emerging is that the man is very popular among centre-left and far-left voters. ... He has become an icon for those who voted for the current government, but are increasingly unsatisfied with it and feel culturally incapable of swinging to the centre-right or seeking refuge in abstention. ... All of this uproar makes progress in the political sphere appear more likely: there is already talk of a governmental crisis and early elections. Berlusconi is no longer alone in causing this."
» to the homepage (external link, La Stampa)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Augusto Minzolini
La Repubblica - Italy | Monday, 4. December 2006
Following the initiative of Silvio Berlusconi, a demonstration gathered together more than 700,000 people in Rome on Saturday, December 2nd, against the tax increase planned by the Prodi government. The editorialist Edmondo Berselli notes that the "eternal" Berlusoni has for the time being no successor on the right. "This has not been enough: » more
Following the initiative of Silvio Berlusconi, a demonstration gathered together more than 700,000 people in Rome on Saturday, December 2nd, against the tax increase planned by the Prodi government. The editorialist Edmondo Berselli notes that the "eternal" Berlusoni has for the time being no successor on the right. "This has not been enough: despite the electoral defeat and the revolt of the Christian Democrats (who wish to restructure the Italian right), not to mention last week's physical lapse in Montecatini, the body and soul of Berlusoni are still very much there, pictures of charisma and power. The some 700,000 demonstrators of the centre-right are all his, they belong to him ... . On the Piazza San Giovanni, we could see a photo of the Italian right, a fixed image, not a film in motion; a pious image immortalising Saint Silvio, almost as if her were a martyr surrounded by a crowd of his followers".
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Fiscal Policy, » Tax Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Edmondo Berselli
General
Libération - France | Thursday, 13. March 2008
The Italian author Giancarlo de Cataldo considers that Italians always wait for emergency situations to arise before acting on complex problems such as immigration, fires ... » more
The Italian author Giancarlo de Cataldo considers that Italians always wait for emergency situations to arise before acting on complex problems such as immigration, fires and waste disposal. "A matter of 'emergency' is our incapacity to manage the ordinary tensions of a western democracy. ... But anybody who thinks that Italy is hostage to a cast of enslaved politicians and journalists suffocating the vital impulse of an honest and generous population is mistaken, despite what civil society is claiming. Italians react badly to calls for the use of measure and good sense. The Italians love to reason with their guts. And a sensational news report or a populist's demagogical rant, with its questionable vocabulary, has a far stronger impact on guts than a well-argued debate. The taste for emergency comes from below, the elite is only adapting to it".
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Giancarlo de Cataldo
La Repubblica - Italy | Tuesday, 29. January 2008
The French researcher Marc Lazar compares the political situations in France and in Italy. "Since January 21st, Italy has been going through a new political crisis that confirms the immense lassitude of a representative and parliamentary democracy ... . By contrast, France appears set to confidently stride across the threshold of the 5th Republic's 50th anniversary. ... Nobody can deny that Italy is going through a crisis of major concern. Its ailments are well known: » more
The French researcher Marc Lazar compares the political situations in France and in Italy. "Since January 21st, Italy has been going through a new political crisis that confirms the immense lassitude of a representative and parliamentary democracy ... . By contrast, France appears set to confidently stride across the threshold of the 5th Republic's 50th anniversary. ... Nobody can deny that Italy is going through a crisis of major concern. Its ailments are well known: a faltering electoral law, the fragmentation of parties, heterogeneous coalitions .... The weakness of political authorities offers other actors - in media, judicial and religious institutions - an opportunity to prosper ... . France is not however in tip-top form, it is still in fragile convalescence. Nevertheless, Nicholas Sarkozy does have the solidity of institutions on his side, something that we clearly cannot find in Italy."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » France, » Italy
All available articles from » Marc Lazar
La Repubblica - Italy | Friday, 28. December 2007
The journalist Francesco Merlo contemplates the prospect of the year about to begin. "What can we wish upon Italy on the verge of 2008? What can we wish upon schools, railways, the health system, publishing, Rai television, and entrepreneurs preaching the courage they lack? ... And upon our miserable film industry, literature and music that has never been so brainless? ... The only hope for 2008 is, perhaps, that it could be the year where depression, hitting rock bottom, gives rise to a renaissance in Italy of artistic and literary masterpieces. ... This is the dream for 2008: » more
The journalist Francesco Merlo contemplates the prospect of the year about to begin. "What can we wish upon Italy on the verge of 2008? What can we wish upon schools, railways, the health system, publishing, Rai television, and entrepreneurs preaching the courage they lack? ... And upon our miserable film industry, literature and music that has never been so brainless? ... The only hope for 2008 is, perhaps, that it could be the year where depression, hitting rock bottom, gives rise to a renaissance in Italy of artistic and literary masterpieces. ... This is the dream for 2008: that this great depression might awaken Italian talent able to transform weakness into strength, providing a last resort for retrieving life, charm and strength in 2009, perhaps."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Francesco Merlo
La Repubblica - Italy | Thursday, 22. December 2005
Following the tumultuous departure from Milan's La Scala [opera house] of an upset Ricardo Muti, the journalist Francesco Merlo offers a litany of ailments afflicting Italian society: » more
Following the tumultuous departure from Milan's La Scala [opera house] of an upset Ricardo Muti, the journalist Francesco Merlo offers a litany of ailments afflicting Italian society: "Ricardo Muti and La Scala, along with the crisis surrounding Fiat, decentralisation, the elevation of the crooner Adriano Celentano to the ranks of master-thinker, and the weakening of the Ferrari engines in the Formula One." He sees in all this " the expression of Italy's disarray, and the decadence of a country that once occupied the leading position in the fields of aesthetics, fashion, design and especially classical music, of which La Scala was the symbol. (...) Once again we see this hysterical Italy that rejects the high-speed train and the bridge of Messina, that pits God against gays, the embryo against women, and the Cross against the Crescent."
» more information (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Society, » Italy
All available articles from » Francesco Merlo
La Repubblica - Italy | Thursday, 25. October 2007
An appeal to save the Italian landscape from being further disfigured by an increasing number of buildings has been signed by architects, historians and writers including Andrea Camilleri. The journalist Francesco Erbani explains: » more
An appeal to save the Italian landscape from being further disfigured by an increasing number of buildings has been signed by architects, historians and writers including Andrea Camilleri. The journalist Francesco Erbani explains: "Two hundred and forty thousand hectares per year multiplied by fifteen adds up three million six-hundred thousand, a territory as big as the Aruzzi and Latium regions combined. This is the amount of land that Italy lost between 1990 and 2005. Figures speak louder than words. They reveal how much construction has increased. This is due to people in Italy building private and expensive homes in protected areas. The Italian landscape is deteriorating, and this is because of legislation that is too permissive in matters of construction."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Environmental Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Francesco Erbani
Corriere della Sera - Italy | Wednesday, 22. August 2007
The Italian professor of political economy Michele Salvati considers that "Italy is a rich country and has its place among other western countries, but it ... » more
The Italian professor of political economy Michele Salvati considers that "Italy is a rich country and has its place among other western countries, but it has always suffered from a distinct lack of civil culture. ... Nowadays, not only do moralising thinkers regret this absence of civil sensitivity, but so too do economists and sociologists, who have discovered that an adequate 'social capital' is a powerful motor for development. Indeed, the sense of civil responsibility, faith in institutions and the capacity to cooperate honestly are indispensable. ... The programme of a genuine political class should have as a priority the resolution of this 'old Italian problem'. .. We therefore need zero tolerance of illegal behaviour. .. With time and rigorous policy, the behaviour of Italians can be changed and the sense of civil responsibility and legality will become an intrinsic part of our mentalities."
» full article (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Michele Salvati
L'Espresso - Italy | Thursday, 16. August 2007
With 800,000 copies sold, the novel 'Gomorra' has made the Camorra's most powerful family, the Casalesi clan, famous. It's author, the Italian writer Roberto ... » more
With 800,000 copies sold, the novel 'Gomorra' has made the Camorra's most powerful family, the Casalesi clan, famous. It's author, the Italian writer Roberto Saviano, has received death threats as a consequence. In an interview conducted by Gianluca de Feo, he describes the South of Italy. "What is referred to as the "Mediterranean issue' is now out-dated, emptied of any meaning. ... Today, the only hope lies with the young. My generation is the first, since the 1950s, to emigrate in mass. According to the increasingly dominant model, anyone who stays is a failure, a loser, a dealer. This is very dangerous because we are letting the talent leave and the hopes of those left behind to dwindle. ... The south is being reduced to a tourist shop display and politicians are ashamed to face up to things as they stand. ... The problem is that the Camorra is being allowed to enrich itself and invest in the territory. It is producing riches that are in fact suspicious goods."
» more information (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Gianluca di Feo, » Roberto Saviano
La Repubblica - Italy | Tuesday, 12. June 2007
"Please can I go in, look at the sea and stretch my legs on the beach a bit ? Certainly Sir, that'll be 14 euros." Jenner Melletti experienced this conversation while researching an inquiry into Italian beach access that he has published. "For one day on a beach near Genoa, a couple without children and without using a changing room, will spend 66 euros, and the place looks more like a cement factory than a beach: » more
"Please can I go in, look at the sea and stretch my legs on the beach a bit ? Certainly Sir, that'll be 14 euros." Jenner Melletti experienced this conversation while researching an inquiry into Italian beach access that he has published. "For one day on a beach near Genoa, a couple without children and without using a changing room, will spend 66 euros, and the place looks more like a cement factory than a beach: over a thousand changing cubicles strung together and white plastic seats everywhere, so close together that you can prop your newspaper up on your neighbour's shoulder ... . The law that demands free access from landowners is however unequivocal. Earth and sand belong to everyone."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Italy
All available articles from » Jenner Meletti
Refuse and Naples
Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Friday, 1. February 2008
After visiting Naples, Maike Albath wonders why the mountains of trash are still burning. She finds an answer in the books of Neapolitan novelist Domenico Starnone: » more
After visiting Naples, Maike Albath wonders why the mountains of trash are still burning. She finds an answer in the books of Neapolitan novelist Domenico Starnone: 'In his books, the novelist, journalist and screenplay writer – born in 1943 in Naples, raised in Vomero but living for decades in Rome - describes how the city's original vitality turned into violence. The deep split in the city has a unique historical source: in 1799, the masses massacred the enlightened citizens among them, so as to preserve feudal ruling structures. 'Naples is both archaic and very modern.' Though the city was a leading European metropolis in the 18th century, it never produced a sustainable bourgeoisie, one that would have influenced the management and public life of the city, and invested money in it."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Literature, » Italy
All available articles from » Maike Albath
Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Monday, 18. December 2006
Last spring Roberto Saviano's report on the mafia titled "Gomorra" caused a major stir. Francesco Durante, editor in chief of the Italian daily Corriere del Mezzogiorno explained to Maike Albath in Naples the differences between the Camorra and the Italian Cosa Nostra. "How do Camorristas behave? 'They're the opposite of the mafioso. Mafiosi often live very modestly, while Camorristas make a show of their wealth: » more
Last spring Roberto Saviano's report on the mafia titled "Gomorra" caused a major stir. Francesco Durante, editor in chief of the Italian daily Corriere del Mezzogiorno explained to Maike Albath in Naples the differences between the Camorra and the Italian Cosa Nostra. "How do Camorristas behave? 'They're the opposite of the mafioso. Mafiosi often live very modestly, while Camorristas make a show of their wealth: they drive expensive cars and motorbikes and live in big villas. Moreover, Camorra bosses forge new alliances every couple of days, while the mafia has a strictly hierarchical structure.' Members of the Camorra seldom live beyond the age of forty... According to the affable editor, the death threats that forced Roberto Saviano to go into hiding two months ago are not typical of the Camorra. Usually journalists don't get a chance to write in the first place."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Italy
All available articles from » Maike Albath
Mafia
Corriere della Sera - Italy | Thursday, 13. March 2008
The journalist and writer Roberto Saviano, author of 'Gomorra', an explosive investigation of the mafia, is intervening in the debate leading up to Italian legislative ... » more
The journalist and writer Roberto Saviano, author of 'Gomorra', an explosive investigation of the mafia, is intervening in the debate leading up to Italian legislative elections, denouncing the silence of the different parties, despite their past involvement with the mafia. "The fight against the mafia is conspicuously absent from this electoral campaign, on the left as much as on the right. The left has to recognise that it has not always been very strict when dealing with affairs linked to the mafia.... . The intelligence of the left has always been to claim that the mafia only concerns the other side. The superiority complex regarding organised crime! To think yourself free from infiltrations, to think that it is only ever other peoples' problem ... ."
» to the homepage (external link, Corriere della Sera)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Roberto Saviano
La Stampa - Italy | Thursday, 21. February 2008
In its annual report published on February 20th, the Italian Parliament's anti-mafia commission considers that the Calabrian mafia is organised like Al-Qaeda and has become a "global economic power" financed by the embezzlement of European funds, drug trafficking and mafia dues. The journalist and writer Guido Ruotolo analyses the contents of this document. "Some passages of the parliamentary anti-mafia commission, unanimously approved, represent a strong signal being sent out to politicians during an election campaign ... . It is an invitation for those who are going to establish lists [for the next legislative elections] to beware of candidates who might descend into the arena. The report leaves little room for optimism: » more
In its annual report published on February 20th, the Italian Parliament's anti-mafia commission considers that the Calabrian mafia is organised like Al-Qaeda and has become a "global economic power" financed by the embezzlement of European funds, drug trafficking and mafia dues. The journalist and writer Guido Ruotolo analyses the contents of this document. "Some passages of the parliamentary anti-mafia commission, unanimously approved, represent a strong signal being sent out to politicians during an election campaign ... . It is an invitation for those who are going to establish lists [for the next legislative elections] to beware of candidates who might descend into the arena. The report leaves little room for optimism: 237 pages of questions, more than the pages of answers. A realistic fresco illustrating the Calabrian abyss."
» to the homepage (external link, La Stampa)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Guido Ruotolo
La Repubblica - Italy | Wednesday, 16. January 2008
The successful writer concealed by the pseudonym Elena Ferrante deplores the situation Naples is currently stuck in. "Rats and dogs are the kings of the ... » more
The successful writer concealed by the pseudonym Elena Ferrante deplores the situation Naples is currently stuck in. "Rats and dogs are the kings of the town during the night. The rubbish, piled as high as the second floor of buildings, comes alive in the dark. ... During the day, the rats disappear and the dogs calm down, men, women and children reappear... . And this city with its population of one million individuals goes on. What angers the Neapolitan inhabitants is that they have to live with inefficiency and disorder. The criminality that this town knows is a calamity ... The phenomenon of rubbish on the streets is not a new one, it has been repeated for decades. Romano Prodi's efforts to clean-up the city are absurd. Only a madman could think that what has failed to be done over decades can be achieved in a few days."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Elena Ferrante
La Repubblica - Italy | Friday, 17. August 2007
Giuseppe d'Avanzo analyses the response to the murders, on August 15th, of six Italians in Duisbourg, killings that have been connected to mafia clan feuding: » more
Giuseppe d'Avanzo analyses the response to the murders, on August 15th, of six Italians in Duisbourg, killings that have been connected to mafia clan feuding: "Why should we act surprised? For having imported our 'rot' into Europe and the word? For a long time the money of our mafia has been circulating through European channels. ... It happened in Germany, but it could just as well have been in the Netherlands, Spain, Columbia, Australia, Canada, or Montenegro. That is to say in all the countries where the Calabrian 'ndrangheta' is present. ... The time has come to question our capacity to at least set up a means of control: why hasn't the 'ndrangheta' been given a place on the political agenda as the Hamas has? ... On the whole, Italian Politics has opted for inertia as a strategy to fight the mafia."
» more information (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
All available articles from » Giuseppe d'Avanzo
Culture
Corriere della Sera - Italy | Wednesday, 7. November 2007
"Italy is backward-looking and ignores contemporary art", complains Monique Veaute, the new director of the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, the property of the French François Pinault. "We are a country without leadership, even in the field of the arts. ... It is clear that the conservation of artistic heritage is fundamental. But we can no longer ignore the contemporary. Italy panders to the glorification of its artistic past. It does not exhibit contemporary artists who have to go to Paris or New York to become known ... . Today's Italy is going through a series of identity crises: » more
"Italy is backward-looking and ignores contemporary art", complains Monique Veaute, the new director of the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, the property of the French François Pinault. "We are a country without leadership, even in the field of the arts. ... It is clear that the conservation of artistic heritage is fundamental. But we can no longer ignore the contemporary. Italy panders to the glorification of its artistic past. It does not exhibit contemporary artists who have to go to Paris or New York to become known ... . Today's Italy is going through a series of identity crises: other than the political crisis it is experiencing an artistic crisis where gallery owners have been transformed into mere shopkeepers."
» to the homepage (external link, Corriere della Sera)
More from the press review on the subject » Fine Arts, » Italy
All available articles from » Monique Veaute
La Repubblica - Italy | Saturday, 1. September 2007
Numerous Italian film-makers are currently questioning Italian cinema's current crisis in the press. For the Italian film-maker Ermanno Olmi, film is only the reflection of ... » more
Numerous Italian film-makers are currently questioning Italian cinema's current crisis in the press. For the Italian film-maker Ermanno Olmi, film is only the reflection of "the global crisis affecting all societies and not just Italy. We are confronted with changes that we have yet to assimilate. ... Cinema is showing us that our reality is to be found in a rather confused and disoriented state. ... Why was neorealism a big movement in cinema ? Because we were just emerging from a war. Common tragedies and suffering created a feeling of sharing, a quest for essential values. ... Italian film is indeed going through a crisis, but should the same question not be asked of literature, the arts, politics, of the economy and our governments ? "
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Film, » Italy
All available articles from » Ermanno Olmi
Corriere della Sera - Italy | Wednesday, 29. August 2007
The historian Ernesto Galli della Loggia notes that 'Italian cinema is suffering from an identity crisis that reflects the crisis the country is going through. ... » more
The historian Ernesto Galli della Loggia notes that 'Italian cinema is suffering from an identity crisis that reflects the crisis the country is going through. ... The strong relation Italian cinema has always maintained with the intellectual-political class has turned it into a summary of the ideologies that marked Italian History during the 20th century, i.e. fascism, social Christianity, communism and Gramsci. ... It was the expression of an anti-bourgeois populist ideology that neo-realism crowned and that we find in the Italian-style comedies, or the cinema of Pasolini or Moretti. ... The crisis of this model has thus been the crisis of Italian cinema. In the globalized west, without proletariat or politics, Italian film is discovering how hard it is to approach democracy and themes that touch the average person. .. It now needs a new relationship with reality. Like Italy, it is looking for itself. "
» full article (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » Film, » Italy
All available articles from » Ernesto Galli della Loggia
Football
Frankfurter Rundschau - Germany | Tuesday, 13. November 2007
"Few states have failed as miserably as Italy in the battle against football violence," Rouven Schellenberger writes, commenting on the riots in Italy following the ... » more
"Few states have failed as miserably as Italy in the battle against football violence," Rouven Schellenberger writes, commenting on the riots in Italy following the killing of a football fan by an Italian police officer. "The world champion has the worst stadiums of all the top nations. It has one of the most corrupt football divisions in Europe. And for decades it has stood by and watched the football clubs' most radical supporters turn into an extremist power factor - with their own sources of funding, just like the souvenir business. Italy has allowed its top players to openly display their racism; the country tolerates the exhibition of racist symbols on the benches. ... This is no longer about the pure passion for violence but about power in football. Italy has created the 'fans' it is now prosecuting as terrorists."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Sport, » Italy
All available articles from » Rouven Schellenberger
Italian Cuisine
Corriere della Sera - Italy | Thursday, 21. February 2008
Columnist Beppe Severgnini has jumped to the defence of authentic Italian cuisine. "Stop eating fake Italian cuisine. Stop sanctifying anybody that has a name that ends in a vowel and writes cookery books. Stop ordering a smoking cappuccino after a dish of egg-based pasta. This message goes out not just to Americans, although they are the best-meaning sinners. It goes out to all foreigners. We encourage them to love Italian cookery, but not to open it up to parody. The global success of our cuisine lies in its simplicity and in the fact that it's easy to imitate, healthy and cheap. These qualities, along with the diaspora of the past 150 years have spread our culinary traditions all over the world. ... The assault on Italian cuisine is insidious precisely because it is involuntary: » more
Columnist Beppe Severgnini has jumped to the defence of authentic Italian cuisine. "Stop eating fake Italian cuisine. Stop sanctifying anybody that has a name that ends in a vowel and writes cookery books. Stop ordering a smoking cappuccino after a dish of egg-based pasta. This message goes out not just to Americans, although they are the best-meaning sinners. It goes out to all foreigners. We encourage them to love Italian cookery, but not to open it up to parody. The global success of our cuisine lies in its simplicity and in the fact that it's easy to imitate, healthy and cheap. These qualities, along with the diaspora of the past 150 years have spread our culinary traditions all over the world. ... The assault on Italian cuisine is insidious precisely because it is involuntary: the saboteurs are acting out of their love for it."
» to the homepage (external link, Corriere della Sera)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Italy
All available articles from » Beppe Severgnini
Corriere della Sera - Italy | Wednesday, 30. January 2008
Journalist Paolo Conti notes that amid the political turmoil, one government move has brought parties together. "In the middle of a political crisis, Romano Prodi's ... » more
Journalist Paolo Conti notes that amid the political turmoil, one government move has brought parties together. "In the middle of a political crisis, Romano Prodi's centre-left government has managed to complete work of a culinary bureaucratic nature, vital to the protection of the genuine Neapolitan pizza. It has drafted a bill that is to go before the EU. By the end of 2008 those wishing to badge their Neapolitan pizzas S.T.G. (Guaranteed Traditional Speciality) must scrupulously comply with requirements of weight, ingredients, baking time, and size. ... The president of the Committe for the Protection of the Neapolitan Pizza and National Alliance [AN, right-wing nationalist] MP for Naples, Rosario Lopa, is very pleased ... Pizza does not belong to any party."
» to the homepage (external link, Corriere della Sera)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Italy
All available articles from » Paolo Conti
Financial Times - United Kingdom | Thursday, 27. December 2007
Adrian Michaels, the paper's Milan correspondent, reflects on why Italy is not among the 43 countries where the café chain Starbucks has set up shop. ... » more
Adrian Michaels, the paper's Milan correspondent, reflects on why Italy is not among the 43 countries where the café chain Starbucks has set up shop. "It is true that the best Italian coffee would blow Starbucks away, but I suspect the chain could win on trendiness and innovation. The reasons for Starbucks' absence are more mundane. Starbucks would be pitched into huge competition in Italy without offering a better price. An espresso in Italy usually costs less than €1, while a double espresso is €2 at Starbucks in Paris and you cannot buy a single. Service would have to be faster – Italians expect their coffee in seconds. Also, foreign multinationals have historically had a hard time navigating planning laws in Italy to build a network quickly and with enough scale."
» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Trade, » Consumers, » Italy
All available articles from » Adrian Michaels
Further articles on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
Deutsch
English
Français
© 2005-2012