Articles by Tim Hedges

Tim Hedges had a career in corporate finance before moving to Rome where he works as a freelance writer, novelist, and farmer

Italian Politics: Of Putin, porn, and, of course, Berlusconi

Since Mussolini the Italians have been terrified of anyone acquiring absolute power, so they devise it that no one has any power at all. Forming a government is throwing up all sorts of problems from Putin, through Berlusconi, oh, and that porn star who offered to sleep with Saddam Hussein to stop the Gulf War. Welcome to Italian politics
by Tim Hedges - 16 April 2018
EU's chaotic migrant policies wrecking Italian serenity

Serenity is a quality you rightly expect in small Italian towns. But the world is as it is, and Europe's migrant crisis is never far from affecting the day to day life of ordinary people, something Europe's insulated political classes seem strangely unaware of
by Tim Hedges - 3 April 2018
EU frets as Italian democracy empowers Eurosceptics

Both parties in what appears to be Italy's emerging coalition government rightly believe the Euro has been good for Germany and bad for Italy. It won't be a supercharged Eurosceptic onslaught, but rather a chipping away at the EU edifice which one day is destined to fall
by Tim Hedges - 27 March 2018
EU fiddles as Rome burns

As talks continue to form a eurosceptic government in Italy, delusional Eurocrats plan ever deeper integration in Brussels. Britons looking on, can be grateful they will soon no longer be party to this fiasco
by Tim Hedges - 19 March 2018
Italy's far-Right repositions itself in bid to govern

Italy's pro-European old guard has been swept away. Now the far-Right La Lega party led by Matteo Salvini is repositioning itself in what is emerging as a serious bid to take power. Brussels, meanwhile, looks on in horror as any real world outcome to the horse trading is certain to yield a Eurosceptic government
by Tim Hedges - 8 March 2018
Italy's election yields worst possible result for EU

Italy's More Europe party did not even make the 3% threshold for parliamentary representation. For the EU, the dominance of right-leaning and populist parties is yet another massive headache. Only those in denial can fail to see the writing on the wall for Brussels' failed project
by Tim Hedges - 5 March 2018
Italians watch Brexit. Election heralds more chaos for EU

Italians are watching Brexit closely. If all goes well, Italexit could be on the agenda in 5 years time. For now, the forthcoming elections merely herald another gigantic headache for the EU, with the outcome sure to mean yet more chaos for the deep integrationists in Brussels. It's all kicking off in Rome
by Tim Hedges - 25 February 2018
Pope Francis in hot water over abuse scandal

Child abuse raises its ugly head again for the Catholic Church. Pope Francis is a good man, and certainly no crusty Vatican insider who wants bad news stamped out. But he is hasty in making judgments on people and hasty to trust the ones he likes. Now, a PR disaster is unfolding in front of him
by Tim Hedges - 20 February 2018
Anti-immigrant violence sets stage for Italian election

Wanton acts of violence against immigrants are still rare in Italy, but the latest attack has shocked the country. That said, resentment about immigration is starting to kick in, and it may well be exploited at the forthcoming elections
by Tim Hedges - 6 February 2018
Italy ahead of the elections

Italy is in that state where you read in the papers that everything is going better but you don’t feel it. All over Europe, and indeed the west, there has been a backlash against yesterday’s men. The forthcoming elections will only bring clarity in the sense it is clear that the chaos will continue
by Tim Hedges - 26 January 2018
Europe's democracy problem

No wonder there is a disconnect between government and the governed. European electoral systems are too remote from the people, and this suits Brussels just fine. There's little likelihood of change. Europe has given up on democracy
by Tim Hedges - 8 January 2018
Italy: A country fit for a king?

Italy, with its continual political upheaval (another election next March), might have benefitted from the stability a monarchy can provide. The brave partisans, who got rid of both king and dictator, turned to socialism and embraced failure. Vittorio Emanuele III now has a new, but still awkward, place of rest
by Tim Hedges - 23 December 2017
Pope takes flak in Myanmar, and in the Vatican too

Things are not looking too happy in the Holy See where Pope Francis' penchant for rubbing conservatives up the wrong way is leading to talk of a schism. In Myanmar, by contrast, he has enraged the liberal media by not visiting Rohingya refugee camps. This is a pope who tells it as he sees it, and isn't afraid to take the flak
by Tim Hedges - 4 December 2017
Italy languishes in crisis after footballing failure

Former UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson said that more than anything else, what caused him to lose the 1970 general election was England having been knocked out out of the World Cup a few days before the vote (by the usual Germans). Italy's failure to reach the finals at all is causing a national crisis
by Tim Hedges - 21 November 2017
Politics in Italy: The Sicilian connection

In what may foreshadow Italy's Spring general election, Sicily's recent elections were fought out between Berlusconi's centre-right and the Five Star populists of Beppe Grillo. And guess what? Berlusconi is back
by Tim Hedges - 12 November 2017