italiafile

Italiafile – for italophiles.

  • Living vicariously

    A mere 4 hours and twenty minutes of RAi live San Remo yesterday.  The bar was lifted a couple of millimetres by the opening tribute to Claudio Abbado which consisted of a good orchestra playing Mozart – and then asking for money to keep them employed.  From then it was downhill most of the way,…

  • And on

    Id hate for you to remain on the egde of your seats – so here’s what happened on San Remo last night.  Four and a half hours of live tv, with in no particular order – 1. a woman who might be pregnant in a black dress 2. A mediocre song which might be plagiarising…

  • Groundhog Day

    It’s only  ayear since we were subjected to the cackfest of San Remo, and yet here it is again – 5 interminable RAI nights of medocre music, unrehearsed continuity and endless schmaltz which is apparently the highlight of the Italian year.   This year we are promised that the San Remo festival of new italian…

  • It’s all go

    We have a new Prime Minister – the youngest ever – even beating Mussolini by 2 months – Renzi is now PM at 39 years and 1 month and to show how young and vigorous he is, he is promising a groundbreaking reform every month.   What he doesnt have though is a minister of…

  • Tomorrow, or tomorrow or tomorrow?

  • Et Tu

      Young Matteo Renzi – the Mr Bean lookeylikey of Italian politics, has succeeded in his his overweening ambition, to become PM – by not actually be elected, infact by not actually being a member of parliament..  He is of course merely mayor of  Florence, which goes well his Machiavellian political stance, as in just…

  • This is the week that is

    Its going to be a long week in politics.  Italy is once again limping from crisis to crisis, this time self inflicted by Renzi on his own party.   Letta, the PM – you know the only PM of a G20 to go and lick Putins icy bum at Sochi, is thinking of a reshuffle. …

  • Italicum

    The new election law has been christened the Italicum – it’s minor problem is that it isnt very democratic, in fact it has nothing of democracy about it.  And the plebs arent happy. Its premise is that whoeever reaches 37% of the vote gets a little help, in the shape of another 16% which gives…

  • some of the people some of the time

    here’s the premise:  The President of Italy wants the government to sort out a new electoral law before he will allow new elections. Progress – none.  For 3 years, they have done nothing.  Now the highest court in the land has declared the ‘porcellum’ electino law illegal, so it must be changed.  Napoletano can’t resign…

  • You can’t keep him down

    You think it’s all gone quiet and then a bit of news seeps out confirming that the Dark One is still moving under the surface.  He’s going to stand as ‘head of the list’ in all of Italy for the European elections – except that he’s not allowed to because he’s banned from public office,…