Italiafile – for italophiles.

So Mr Toad is back, inveighing against the left – ‘the communists’ – ‘the most inhuman and criminal force in all of history’.  Not the Nazis then. Its a bit rich to start with the red under the bed threat again, especially when coupled with the ‘ we’re going to have a tax police state’…

Three little stories that show the state of Italy: 1.  A nurse who in the last 9 years has worked a total of 6 days has finally been rumbled by her employers.   It amounts to working 1 second a day.  Fake difficult pregnancies, back trouble  and child benefit payments for 30K – she is…

The Mp’s are up in arms.  The press photographers have taken photos of them in the Commons doing everything but what they are paid to do.  Now a group of MPs are demanding that photos taken of them sleeping, playing with their iphones and ipads, comparing make up tips and so on should not be…

Looking at my newspaper this morning – the headlines are as follows (omitting world news which is even more depressing),: 200.000 euros in bribes from FinMeccanica and Enav destined for a political party A private hospital in Milan mired in corruption booked and paid for private jets for politicians. The head of the  Italian MI5…

The Vatican is very unhappy about the new Benetton ads and threaten legal action.  On what grounds, exactly?  Personally I would love this image to be used worldwide to get the Vatican to pay their taxes.  The new Monti govt had the wholehearted approval of the Vatican, and yesterday, despite talk of fairness, there is…

So the new Monti goverment has been given the thumbs up by all the other parties, the Church and the Unions – so we’re stuffed.  Monti must have spun a line to get them all on board and now it will all unravel and nothing will get done.  The choice of ‘technical’ ministers is bothersome…

Mr Toad resigned and some people said good riddance.  Stung by their ungratefulness mr B has decided that he won’t gracefully retire but will fight on.   It is another proof that times machines and the Terminator aren’t necessaru when you have a number of TV stations and newspapers as your personal fief.  Mr Toad…

It rained for forty days and forty nights, and all that was on the earth perished and the BTP spread rose to 491, when a dove sent out by the senile Noah gave everyone to think he was going to hand over control of the ark to his acolyte, and the waters fell sharply, and…

To drag Italy kicking and screaming into the modern age, the EU is politely insisting that there is a reform of the labour laws, ostensibly allowing companies to sack their employees.  Its not that simple, but the essence of the difference between contracts for a determined time and a undetermined time is the great dream…

Matteo Renzi – there’s a name for the future.  Hark back to the heady days of New Labour pre 97, the days when in the death throes of John Major’s, Duncan Smiths and Hagues caring Britain, Tony Blair seemed like a breath of fresh air – someone who could really change the sorry state of…