Italiafile – for italophiles.

The owner of Todds shoes took out a full page in the press yesterday, with an open letter to politicians, nearly all of whom are furious at his words, above all the left, who are so out of touch with reality that they assume they are immune from criticism.   Had I enough money I…

Here’s a good’un… The comune of Palermo has a squad of snow clearers – who are paid handsomely when snow covers the ground.  One of their number, fearful for climate change presumably has wished so wholeheartedly for snow that it falls only for him. This particular snow clearer presents his hours to the comune –…

There is a little known rule that the worst chancellors should resemble characters from films about minor public schools.  Italy excels, so much so that the current incumbent is a dead ringer for the savage Geoffrey Howe.   Mr Tremonti is the face of the crisis for Italy – it helps that he is at…

Tomorrow, its this charmer who will make the news here.  its Saverio Romano, a centre right MP who is currently awaiting trial for his mafia connections.   Toto Riina had his name and phone number on his little ‘bigliettini’ when he was caught and 4 ‘pentiti’ have said that he was undoubtedly toto’s man in…

Not a good day for Berlusconi yesterday.  He was meant to be in court in the Mills/Mediaset case, but didnt turn up.  He hadnt actually told then he wouldnt be going, and therefore the judges got a bit peeved. In the Tarantino blackmail case, instead of Mr B being the injured party, it now seems…

  THE DEMOCRACY OF ITALY   It is this perhaps which is the greatest joke perpretated on the Italians.  In the last few years, it is ever more obvious that what the Italians are repeated told is a democracy is in fact an oligarchy which is now teetering ever more dangerously towards a type of…

It is a woman – it is not a contestant from american’s next drag queen, and it is called Daniela Satanche – where it comes from nobody seems to know, it sprang fully formed into the exfascist party in the mid 90’s.  Being a loggerheads with Berlusconi in the years of Forza Italia it memorably…

Here’s the first of an occasional series about the governing class.   All of you who lament Osborne et al — read and count those lucky stars. />Ghedini (see past posts) is the lawyer and legal gob of Silvio Berlusconi.  He has been in parliament for seemingly yonks, but seems to have switched with aplomb…

So Italy is downgraded to an ‘A’ – and Mr Toad blames the media – forgetting that he owns most of it.   He cant understand why others dont think as he does – but then forgets that he is a senile autocratic petty criminal.   S&P downgraded Italy on the basis of the negative…

Mr Toad: ‘The budget has saved Italy’.  From what exactly?  Not only – we are told – is he the saviour of the Italian world, but it is the most socially balanced and fair budget that was possible – because only the rich pay extra.  Interesting.  1% on VAT will only be paid by the…