Habemus Papam!
The enthroning of Francis is so fraught with symbolism that people will still be reading the tealeaves years hence
- 14 March 2013
Italians in Britain
Immigration? This time? Large swathes of Italians, perhaps half of young people, want to leave the country. Many want to come to Britain. Are they sure?
- 7 January 2014
Change at a snail's pace in Italy's parliament
The mood on the streets is that Grillo perhaps should be given a chance, but as time goes on more people are realising that life in Italy continues more or less happily without a government at all
- 22 March 2013
Playing poker with death: Italy’s unique Beppe Grillo
No other country has such a phenomenon as Grillo. He has already made great advances but his work is by no means done. I hope he does well
- 28 September 2013
A view from Italy: Who will be the next pope?
It's considered a vulgar topic here in Italy, but talk is turning to who will succeed Pope Benedict XVI
- 19 February 2013
The Vatican rumour mill
There is nothing Rome likes better than intrigue
- 22 February 2013
The papal race is about to start
Finally, a month after the resignation of Benedict XVI, the Conclave will begin tomorrow
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Italy’s elections: the impasse continues
Things continue to drift in Italy, with Monti as Prime Minister, without any power. Assuming the markets don't take fright, they may continue that way
- 27 March 2013
Italian politics: different this time?
If earlier it was like a game of chess, now Italian politics is more like the Melee in Ivanhoe
- 4 April 2013
Liberation Day blues in Italy
The Government of Gianni Letta could prove to be 'Seaside' in all but name. Then again perhaps he will surprise us
- 25 April 2013
Three threats to Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi, not for the first time, is in a bit of bother. What will the political Houdini do? One thing is certain: no one ever got rich betting against him
- 21 June 2013
Italy’s election: what it means
Italy failed to change after the Mani Pulite scandal when Berlusconi came to power. Might it finally change now?
- 26 February 2013
The Papacy: Francis the new broom
The lines from St. Matthew endure: ‘and the gates of hell shall not overcome it, and I will give you the keys to the kingdom of Heaven’
- 31 March 2013
Margaret Thatcher: a personal view
When Thatcher was elected leader of the Tory Party in '75, many people, myself included, thought it was either a fit of madness or that she was simply an interim leader. The rest is history
- 9 April 2013
Two disgraces for Italy
Corruption, weak, self-serving leaders whose actions are justified not by results but by the paper trail they leave, money gone missing, these are the stories we hear of Italy today
- 11 April 2013
White smoke from Rome? Italy votes for a President
The name on everyone’s lips for the Italian presidency is Franco Marini - an 80 year old former trade unionist centre-left MP
- 18 April 2013
Italy (eventually) re-elects 87-year-old Napolitano
Italy flirted with an 80-year-old trade-unionist, an 82-year-old jurist, a political giant who would have been 80 by the end of his mandate, and opted for a former communist who will be 94 if he serves out his term
- 22 April 2013
Has there been an Italian Spring?
Has Beppe Grillo brought about an Italian Spring? No. Nearly, but not quite
- 2 May 2013
Italy: the politics of succession
Is this the end of Berlusconi?
- 9 May 2013
Italy has problems - big problems
With Italy we are not just talking about a billion here, a billion there; a monetary and fiscal fix. Italy has problems
- 17 May 2013
Italy’s electoral law: the rolling pin and the pigsty
The one thing everyone agrees on is that the Italian electoral system needs to change and that it should be a priority of this government. No one, of course, is agreed on what changes are necessary
- 24 May 2013
The State and The Mafia
Italy gets bad press internationally, but the trial to ascertain the connections between the state and the mafia should be lauded. It's time to understand what happened to Italy decades ago
- 31 May 2013
Corpus Domini: Italians and the Church
Church attendance is dropping across the western world. The difference is that in Italy you cannot really imagine it dying out completely
- 7 June 2013
The end of austerity in Italy?
Letta, the European, will feel that austerity is easier than these supply-side reforms; Berlusconi, the populist, will feel that spending is easier than austerity. Who will prevail?
- 13 June 2013
The dark art of financial engineering
Italian 10-year bond yields are rising and the country cannot afford to lose credibility. Unfortunately, a can of worms is about to be opened
- 27 June 2013
Pope Francis will need patience of a saint to sort this one
Monsignor Nunzio Scarano has been to lots of interesting places, including Montecarlo and Switzerland but until now he's never been to prison
- 4 July 2013
Italy: the courts, the fights and Silvio Berlusconi
There really is never a dull moment in Italian politics.
- 11 July 2013
A conversation about Italian austerity
Italians are let down by the politicians and insiders who make up an unethical caste running the country. But the people must make better choices
- 26 July 2013
Berlusconi goes down
He's down, but never count Silvio out. This could yet be the making of a new Italian centre-Right
- 2 August 2013
Did Brussels corrupt Italian democracy?
Barroso is a civil servant, unelected by anyone, and it seems he was engaged in the political murder of the leader of a European nation
- 5 August 2013
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