Gufo – an Owl. Gufare – to hoot. On Saturday evening Italy’s Serie A drew to a close. The final match of the season, a playoff to decide relegation, took place in Bologna. Being but fair-weather fans, we opted to watch Bologna vs Parma from the comfort of a nearby bar (the beautiful evening and […]
25.9% of Italians voted in Sunday and Monday’s referendum on the law 40/2004 on assisted procreation. That’s less than one in four Italians entitled to vote. And yet, in the last number of days, the papers and television have spoken about little else. We’ve been treated to the birth of dozens of new terms [at […]
While there are those who comfort themselves in the depths of the night with the idea that il Cavaliere, Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister and one of the world’s richest men, is, simply put, a buffoon, not so seasoned media watchers like Umberto Eco.
Last year, speaking to a packed audience in Bologna (on the occasion of the launch of the book L’Opposizione al Governo Berlusconi), Eco pondered whether anyone had noticed the strange patterns of Berlusconi’s media ‘moments’, those wonderful episodes ranging from the concentration camp guard jibe, through to the suggestion that judges are genetically crazy. The theory of the intelligent cavaliere, as we’ll call it, suggests that when Berlusconi is in the news for all the wrong reasons, you can bet your bottom dollar that there’s something else important happening elsewhere.
Ever the PR maestro, Silvio Berlusconi stage managed the signing of the the European Constitution, in Rome last October, perfectly. It simultaneously managed to cover up the various glitches of the Italian EU Presidency (including the failure to get agreement on the Constitution), and gave the signal that Italy under Berlusconi is a firm part of the European project.
According to a poll taken by the Eurisko Institute, 63% of Italians would vote in favour of the adoption of the European constitution, if a referendum was required for ratification (which it isn’t).
The Istanbul Syndrome, as it’s being called in the newpapers here, refers to Wednesday night’s defeat of A.C.Milan by Liverpool in the UEFA Champions’ league final. Leading in the first half by 3 goals to nil, a certain complacency set in, and the team of superstars ended up losing on penalty kicks. While his football […]
It’s with not inconsiderable excitement that this Monkey looks forward to the latest film from Oscar winning Italian director Gabriele Salvatores. His adaptation of Grazia Verasani’s crime novel Quo Vadis Baby?, set and filmed in Bologna will get its Italian release this Friday. Coinciding, there’s a nice interview in last week’s Il Venerdi di Repubblica. […]
Last year a controversial law was introduced by the centre-right ruling majority in Italy, to govern the conditions under which assisted procreation may take place. The requirement for legislation governing this area was not in itself controversial. Most recognised that there existed a ‘far-west’ situation, where ethics and medical standards were dubious to say the […]
Years ago, sitting in a chaotic restaurant in Ho Chi Minh city (how’s that for showing off!), our Vietnamese hosts on learning that I was Irish beamed and gave me an international greeting – “Roy Keane – Irish – Yes”. In the days before Keane’s childish Saipan tantrum, this was a novel and welcome greeting. Better that you be recognised for the on-field achievements of Keane than for the explosive abilities of the IRA.
Aside from saving me that potential embarassment, it was a potent reminder that football, soccer, calcio, call it what you will, is a global sport/industry.
Watching the Italian serie A, one might wonder why? This year, as is the case most years, the championship rested between the two richest teams Juventus and AC Milan. The competition is plagued by dodgy refereeing decisions, scandals, and the suspicion that perhaps it’s more than just nimble feet and fantasia that count.
Last year was the 10th anniversary of the founding of Silvio Berlusconi’s political party Forza Italia.
The party was founded at a time when the established political order appeared to be crumbling, due to corruption charges left, right and centre (in every sense).
A report in today’s newspapers show that the wealth of Berlusconi’s family has tripled in the 11 years since he graciously entered politics to save the country [we’ve been reading his autobiography!]
When he entered politics his family’s wealth was calculated at 161.9million Euro. Now it’s an estimated 983.8million Euro.
April was a turbid time in Italy, with two focal points of leadership coming to an end. This column, when not taking a shifty break (as may have been noted by its absence for almost a fortnight), was focused primarily on the power changes going on in the Holy See. At the same time, though, […]
