Italiafile – for italophiles.

For all of those who bewail the NHS, Italy has just proved how to rally the staff.  At a hospital in Naples a newly appointed doctor decided to throw a party to celebrate his new post as head of his department.  To make sure everyone could come to his kneesup, he decided to close the…

The new Lord of Darkness, Matteo Salvini, has been flexing his muscles since he got into his new office as Home Office Minister.   As vice PM (along with Di Maio) they are the chief architects of the governments policies, but Salvini has shown himself to be the master tactician up till now.   Dedicating himself to…

Silvio is worried about the new government, because they wouldnt appoint him PM – he did nominate himself as the only possible option given his experience, but surprisingly was roundly ignored. Instead we have a Puglian lawyer who nobody has ever heard of, who may or may not have invented something on his CV, ‘loves…

The temperature at the Colle (parliament) this week must be pretty high.  Judging by the chatter in the barber and bar here in Sicily, everybody has pretty strong opinions about what has been going in Italy over the last week.   Obviously its a mess,  exacerbated by a partial media that is inventing more stories than…

Lots of arrests in Sicily this week, all connected to Antonio Calogero Montante – ex president of the Sicilian Confindustria with special powers to combat the mafia.    Montante was already under investigation for ties to a clan from Caltanisetta,  but this week the net widened.  The charges are many, including associazione per delinquere – ie…

Hold on to your hats kids – Silvio has just been allowed to stand for parliament – the conviction of incandidatability having been quashed. In the midst of the negotiation between 5S and the Lega to form a government, Silvio has got a new lease of life – and will no doubt now form an…

Heres a story for any aspiring businessman.  Modican chocolate is famous.  Apparently.  It is made to the Aztec recipe brought here by the Spanish.  But its not.    It is a chocolate made by the Modicani using a recipe brought here when Sicily was under Spanish dominion, and is a traditional folk food typical of…

The situation afterthe President tutted and rolled his eyes yesterday hasnt changed.  Nobody want to play with each other,  and the M5S are taking the ball home.    Matterella  outlined the options – a neutral government to limp on till Xmas, or elections.   It seems that 8 July is favourite of the Lega and…

  On Monday Presdient Mattarella will hold last ditch talks to try and find a government – this is todays state of play. Lega – will form a government with anyone except Renzi and the PD PD – will form a government with Forza Italia Fratelli d’Italia – will form a government with FI and…