Tag: Italy

Tuesday, May 29th 2018 - 08:11 UTC
Italy's Mattarella appoints ex IMF interim prime minister and quells the situation... for now

Italy's president set the country on a path back to fresh elections on Monday, appointing a former International Monetary Fund official as interim prime minister with the task of planning for snap polls and to pass the next budget. The decision to appoint Carlo Cottarelli to form a stopgap administration sets the stage for elections that are likely to be fought over Italy's role in the European Union and the euro zone, a prospect that is rattling global financial markets.
Monday, May 28th 2018 - 07:01 UTC
“Institutional crisis” in Italy: the Euro at the heart of the powers dispute

The leader of Italy's biggest political party has called for the president to be impeached after he vetoed a choice for finance minister. Luigi Di Maio of the populist Five Star Party said President Sergio Mattarella had caused an “institutional crisis”.
Thursday, May 24th 2018 - 06:49 UTC
Italian president gives his blessing to the new populist coalition government

Italy's president Sergio Mattarella accepted a political novice Giuseppe Conte, a populist coalition's candidate, as prime minister on Wednesday in a bid to forge a functioning government and end the nation's weeks-long political deadlock.
Tuesday, May 22nd 2018 - 07:12 UTC
Populist Euro-skeptic coalition agreed in Italy; panic in Brussels

Law professor Giuseppe Conte has been named as the choice of the Five Star Movement and League to lead the Italian coalition government. The leaders of the two parties have been holding talks with President Sergio Mattarella over the approval of their coalition government.
Saturday, May 19th 2018 - 09:18 UTC
Italy readies for a populist euro skeptic coalition; challenge for Brussels and the Euro

Italy’s two anti-establishment parties promised on Friday to ramp up spending in a program for a new coalition government, putting them on a collision course with the European Union despite having dropped some of their most radical proposals.
Tuesday, May 15th 2018 - 07:26 UTC
Berlusconi is back: ban from holding public office lifted by Italian court

An Italian tribunal has lifted a ban on veteran centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi from holding public office, meaning he could run to be prime minister in the next national election.
Saturday, May 12th 2018 - 08:33 UTC
Sunday surprise: populist/hard right government in the making in Italy

Italian anti-establishment and far-right leaders met on Friday to hash out a deal over a joint government that could be announced as soon as Sunday. Matteo Salvini, leader of the nationalist League, told reporters after meeting head of Five Star Movement (M5S) Luigi Di Maio at the lower house Chamber of Deputies that their aim was to reach an agreement “as soon as possible.”
Tuesday, May 8th 2018 - 08:38 UTC
Italy: president proposes neutral government followed by fresh elections in 2019

President Sergio Mattarella on Monday suggested the formation of a 'neutral' government to rule until the end of this year after a third round of consultations failed to produce to way out of Italy's post-election political deadlock.
Saturday, April 28th 2018 - 07:44 UTC
The model of Western democracy is broken: unemployment stats questioned

By Gwynne Dyer - If the model is broken, should you try to fix it, or scrap it and get a new one? In questions of technology, increasingly the answer is: scrap it. Computer repair shops are dying out: if your laptop doesn't work, just buy a new one. What applies to consumer technology, however, does not necessarily apply to politics.
Monday, April 9th 2018 - 09:08 UTC
Italy's right wing parties say they are ready to form a new government

Italy’s three main rightist parties on Sunday vowed to present a united front in a fresh round of talks on forming a new government next week, defying attempts by the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement to divide them in coalition negotiations.