The publication of an interim report from the Giovannini Commission on the costs of politics has raised quite a stink.
The report confirms that Italian deputies are grossly overpaid in relation to comparable parliamentarians in France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria.
Yet the Chamber of Deputies press office has put out a press release [...]
I’m quite surprised that Monti wants to stay until 2013.
That’s a long time for a technocratic government. Assume that elections in 2013 take place exactly five years after those of 2008, on the 13th and 14th. By that time, Monti would have been in office for 514 days.
That’s a month longer than Dini who, IMHO, [...]
So, I posted here about News International’s (perceived) power — but that’s really very unimportant compared to what’s happening to the Italian stock market and the BTP-Bund spread.
… is the Economist’s take on Berlusconi.
I don’t agree with the Economist on everything. But they have been consistently on target in their coverage of Berlusconi.
I haven’t been blogging much about public broadcasting recently. I’ll be blogging more as and when my book comes out. But here’s a tit-bit from Italy: Lorenza Lei has been appointed as first female director-general of Rai. Reasons to be cheerful:
Lei replaces Mauro Masi, who had an unhappy and brief (two-year) tenure.
Lei was appointed by [...]
My contribution to the Mammone/Veltri edited collection, “Italy Today”, is referenced obliquely in Tim Parks’ write-up at the New Yorker:
Many of the essays in “Italy Today” describe situations that tend to support Graziano’s gloomier analysis. One focusses on an aging political élite that “is indecisive and creates obstacles,” and “hides itself cynically in nepotistic protection.” [...]
Here’s a (somewhat) provocative paper on quality of life in Italian cities. (h/t: Joel). Key lesson: don’t stay in Caltanisetta. Or Enna.
One might wonder whether Italian campanilismo makes these inferred QoL estimates problematic…
Via Language Log, a really interesting post on Northern perceptions of ‘Standard’ Italian. No personal guarantee of veracity intended; would welcome comments
For any Italophones who are curious: I don’t have a leak of the 389 page investigative dossier, and you most definitely shouldn’t e-mail me for a copy at c dot hanretty at uea dot ac dot uk
Ouch.
le dichiarazioni testimoniali… fanno ritenere che Minetti Nicole, in concorso con Fede Emilio e Mora Dario ['Lele'], nonché in concorso con ulteriori soggetti, abbia continuativamente svolto un’attività di induzione e favoreggiamento della prostituzione di soggetti maggiorenni, e della minore EL MAHROUG KARIMA, individuando, selezionando, accompagnando un rilevante numero di giovani donne, che si sono prostitute [...]