Italy
Will Italy’s new coalition last?
Italian politics is like a game of musical chairs. One government resigns or collapses, another takes its place, until that…
Will Italy’s warring politicians succeed in shutting Salvini out of power?
What now looks like a distinct possibility in Italy after today’s resignation of Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte is a…
Matteo Salvini prepares for his big gamble
Italians have had ten prime ministers in the last 20 years. They may soon have another. Matteo Salvini, the interior…
Italy shows that left-wing populism doesn’t work
To judge from what is going on in Italy, the only major European country where populists are in power, right-wing…
What Macron’s spat with Italy is really about
Who needs the Comédie-Française when there is Emmanuel Macron in the Élysée? France’s recall last week of its ambassador from…
How Italy’s populists stepped up their war with Macron
The war of words between the governments of Italy and France escalated last week, after Italy’s deputy Prime Ministers, Luigi…
Matteo Salvini is doing Brussels a favour with his harsh migration policy
Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister and interior minister, is one of the most controversial politicians in Europe. The 45-year…
The UN’s politically motivated search for human rights abuses in Italy
When politicians in Europe listen to the people and actually do something to stop uncontrolled immigration, the Holy See of…
Matteo Salvini is lucky to be the enemy of the Italian justice system
As Machiavelli noted: in order to prevail, a successful prince needs Fortuna as well as Virtù. Matteo Salvini, who has…
Italy’s anti-immigration rhetoric is paying off for the populists
It wasn’t long ago when Italy used to be referred to colloquially as “the sick man of Europe,” a country…
Has Donald Trump finally met a European leader he can work with?
Donald Trump has finally met a European leader he can stand for more than a moment: Italy’s bookish new premier,…
Matteo Salvini’s tough immigration stance is paying off
Well, stone me. A new “populist” government in Italy actually does something to stop the NGO taxi service which ferries migrants…
Matteo Salvini’s decision to turn away a migrant rescue ship is an historic moment
The refusal by Italy’s new ‘populist’ coalition government of the alt-left Five Star Movement and the hard right Lega to…
Italy’s populists have won – but they’re still not in charge
Recently, the ‘populist’ (i.e. electorally victorious) new government of Italy wanted to appoint an anti-euro finance minister and was told…
Italy isn’t the next Greece. Here’s why
Everyone thinks they know the script of how Italy’s saga will play out. As the populists take power in Rome,…
Will Italy’s first fight with Brussels be over immigration?
Italy has a new Prime Minister: Giuseppe Conte, who heads up a Five Star / Lega coalition. He presented his…
The Spectator Podcast: the people vs the EU
This week, the new Italian coalition’s proposed government was blocked by the Italian President, giving EU grandees in Brussels a…
Don’t blame the populists for Italy’s chaos
Bond yields are soaring. Stock markets are tanking. The banks are looking wobbly, and money is starting to drain out…
Will the next Italian elections be a referendum on democracy?
Is Italy descending into political chaos? Some may shrug their shoulders and say well, it is Italy. Yes, Italy has…
Why Italy’s new populist government collapsed before it even began
Italy’s new populist government – the first in western Europe – collapsed last night before it even had the chance…