Mario ” WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING IN ITALY?

By Fabrizio Catalfamo

You deserve that in a matter of weeks we’ve had a coalition collapse, a resignation, failed negotiations and then, you technocratic Prime Minister which begs, the Question Is: what the hell is happening in Italy? So this article will attempt to answer just that, looking into exactly, what’s happened and why it’s being necessary to deploy whatever it takes and call on Super Mario to fix this mess .

This entire crisis came to the fore when Italy’s ruling coalition collapsed, Italy’s former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, pulled his party “Italia Viva” out of the coalition led by Giuseppe Conte, causing Conte to lose his majority support. The question is: why politicians don’t just pull out of coalitions when they feel like it but beyond their money?

Now the EU plans to spend billions of euros to kickstart the

European economy money that will invariably be divided up to national governments, for them to spend how they wish, the issue being how exactly the national governments want to spend that vast quantity of cash. If it’s coming their way, Renzi wanted the 200 and €10 billion promised to Italy to be directed towards new infrastructure projects, which was in direct opposition to Conte’s desire for a panel of appointed experts, to oversee and direct the spending of the funds.

After weeks of threatening to withdraw over the issue, Renzi finally did so in a move widely denounced by MPs and much of the Italian press, and a move which many believe was derived by a thirst for political power up, published in the immediate wake of Renzi’s withdrawal from the coalition.

Now, 46% of Italians didn’t even understand the reason for the cri- sis with 73% believing that he was pursuing his own selfish political objectives rather than the interests of the country. The two largest parties in Italy’s government were quick to throw their support behind Conte, both, the five star movement and the Democratic Party, publicly criticised Renzi’s move and stated that they would continue to back Conte, the acting leader of five star stressed that in this moment of crisis there can be no other thoughts, but continuing to work for the best of the country .....and its citizens.

The confidence was subsequently called in Giuseppe Conte and vote he easily won in the lower house the Chamber of deputies, where the remaining coalition parties still have a majority, but in the Senate, he only won very narrowly, crucially without an absolute majority. Had the government survived, it would have been significantly weakened and unable to pass a budget which requires an absolute majority in the Senate. In light of this, Conte promptly tendered his resignation to the president, this led the president scrambling trying to decide what should happen next because with no forthcoming coalition of support coming out in favor of Renzi.

The next option would be to call an election, not exactly the best idea in the middle of a pandemic, so to solve the issue, the president invited Mario Draghi to form a government.

Now Mario Draghi has to put it lia- bility of a reputation in the Europan Union. The former president of the European central bank during the European sovereign debt crisis, is largely credited with saving the euro from complete destruction with the Greek economy on the verge of collapse from international market pressure. Pressure that was slowly but surely seeping into the likes of Italy, Portugal and Spain, druggle pledged to do whatever it takes to preserve the euro.

Going on to add “believe me” it will be enough these words alone widely credited with immediately applicating financial markets and reducing pressure on the countries? But while he has had some successes, Super Mario isn’t a politician he never was draggy has never stood for political election having been the governor of the Bank of Italy before moving on to the presidency of the European central bank. In the words of the FT Draghi is set to be thrust into the cauldron of Italian Daily Politics, a vastly different arena from the Polish tan market focused world of central banking, but Italy’s president didn’t shy away from the fact that it was a technocratic appointment.

He called on Italian lawmakers to back a government of high profile which should not identify with any political formula. In the light of the crisis, this crucially isn’t the first time that Italy is called on non political outsiders to come and fix things, rather it’s happened a few times now. In 1993 Carlo Azelio Ciampi, the former governor of the Bank of Italy, like Draghi, entered politics to balance things out through a volatile period before an election could be held one eventually would bring Silvio Berlusconi to power. In the height of the European sovereign debt crisis, Mario Monti a former European commissioner was brought in following the resignation of then Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Monti was ultimately responsible for enacting the structural and painful economic reforms demanded by the Commission and move that invariably contributed to his downfall later down the line.

So there’s clearly some history of Italy calling in the technocrats when things get tricky bandle actions. Brought down in this crisis was first appointed as a technocratic leader although some are now arguing that he’s turned into a truly political figure, the issue being that it’s relatively uncontroversial to say that technocratic rule hasn’t been plain sailing in all instances leaders unaware of the cauldron of Italian domestic politics, have been brought in and had to adjust the domestic politics, fix the situation. They’ve been called into while, at the same time, trying to get a coalition of support around them and, more importantly, to stay around them.

Ultimately whilst the leader, maybe a technocrat they’re not suddenly leading the parliament on their own rather, they have to adjust to an cater for the political winds and seas, and parliamentarians who supports were to vanish, would spell the end of their time at the helm of Italian politics, and that’s the issue likely to play Super Mario in the coming weeks and months, support for Draghi isn’t a foregone conclusion. The five star movement, changed their position with their acting leader telling reporters that after a meeting with Draghi, we’re open to considering whether the conditions are right to join a government. We will decide above all on the basis of the policies and mark shift from the earlier out right projections.

The League have also backtracked having first called for snap elections, it expressed conditional backing with its leader stating that it would be prepared to join so long as it was a government that goes to Brussels keeping its head high in the name of national interest.

Renzi’s Italia Viva party, as well as Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party, have already indicated their support so there’s clearly some growing support for Draghi in the words of the FT the danger for Mr Draghi is that his Premiership proves to be a poisoned chalice as an unelected technocrat. In an age of populism and lacking a party base of his own Mr Draghi will be vulnerable to sniping, that his policies are not the expression of political.

Asuming that he’s able to garner a fully fledged coalition of support or have the formidable task of redesigning Italy’s recovery plan, a plan worth in excess of €200 billion the largest sum in absolute terms for any EU country in a statement Draghi emphasized that the challenges that Italy now faced were substantial beating the pandemic, completing the vaccination campaign, offering answers to everyday challenges, and getting the country back on track. Matteo Renzi told the BBC’s news hour, that “Draghi was the Italian who saved Europe, I think he is now the European who can save Italy.”

ROME, FEB 15 - Sardinia Governor Christian Solinas has said that only people who can prove they are vaccinated for COVID-19 will be allowed to enter the region this summer.

“Those who enter Sardinia will have to show a certificate demonstrating that they are negative (for the coronavirus) or that they have been vaccinated,” he told daily newspaper L’Unione Sarda. “The system of checks will be in place long before the start of the summer season”.

ROME, FEB 15 - Screen diva Sophia Loren has got the L.A. Italia Legend Award for her extraordinary career and philanthropic work most recently demonstrated by her new film ‘La vita davanti a sé’ (The Life Ahead), the jury of the Los Angeles, Italia - Film, Fashion and Art Festival 2021 said Sunday.

Hollywood, California.

The festival honors the best of Italian and Italian-American culture every year through premieres, performances and exhibitions, during the pre-Oscar week. All of its events are open to the public free of charge. It is sponsored by the Italian Culture Ministry and Intesa San Paolo Bank. This year the festival will be inaugurated by The Life Ahead.

MILAN, FEB 8 - Milan’s iconic Duomo cathedral will reopen to visitors on Thursday, February 11, the Venerabile Fabbrica del Duomo said Monday. The Duomo, a symbol of Milan, has been closed due to COVID-19. In this first phase, the Farbbrica said, the cathedral will be accessible from Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 17:00 local time. It advised visitors to buy their tickets online at www.duomomilano.it.

The jury was headed by ItaloAmerican actor Armand Assante, an Emmy Award winner for Gotti. Loren, 86, has won critical acclaim for her portrayal of a former prostitute who forms a bond with a young black migrant in The Life Ahead, directed by her son Edoardo Ponti. “Never as this year does Donna Sophia deserve the plaudits of the cinema world and we hope the SAcademy recognises her extraordinary performance with an Oscar nomination,” said Naples-born Assante, who worked with Loren in the 1980 TV movie Her Own Story. This year’s 16th edition of the “L.A. Italia Festival runs from April 18 to 24, leading into Oscar night on April 25. Two-time Oscar winner Loren is “on the crest of the wave again with her new film”, organisers said. The Los Angeles Italia Film Festival or Los Angeles-Italia Film Fashion and Art Fest is an Italian film festival held in Grauman’s Chinese Theatre,

NEW YORK, JAN 28 - A rare masterpiece by Renaissance great Sandro Botticelli, ‘Portrait of a Young Man Holding a Roundel’, fetched over $92 million at Sotheby’s in New York on Thursday, far exceeding estimates. It was a record for the auction house’s Great Masters series. The painting was pout up for auction by the family of late billionaire Sheldon Solow, one of the great builders of New York skyscrapers, who died in November. The painting fetched $92.184 million, including auction rights.

WASHINGTON, FEB 15 - The United States on Sunday night congratulated the new Italian government of former European central banker Mario Draghi saying it was confident they could work together on many global challenges, a State Department spokesman told : “The United States has a long and historic relationship with Italy,” the spokesman said.

“We congratulate the new Italian government and look forward to continue cooperation to boost our results and tackle the numerous challenges facing us as a global community”.

A few hours earlier US President Joe Biden tweeted his congratulations to Draghi saying he hoped for a “close collaboration” on addressing global challenges, from COVID-19 to climate change.

Draghi’s government was sworn in at the weekend and will face two confidence votes on Wednesday and Thursday in the Italian parliament.

Draghi is credited with saving the euro with his famed ‘whatever it takes’ stance.

TURIN, JAN 26 - A four-year-old Italian boy has regained the use of a hand that was irreparably damaged in a car accident thanks to the transplant of a toe.

The toe has replaced the finger that was lost in the crash.

The pioneering surgery was led by Bruno Battiston at Turin’s Regina Margherita Hospital.

The op used innovative robot technology. Doctors said the new hand will not only function fully but will also grow as the boy gets older.

“It is a cutting edge operation,” said local ‘Health City’ Director Giovanni La Valle, “which our professionals managed to carry out by using tools never before used”.

Battistons’ team was assisted by reconstructive microsurgery chief Davide Ciclamini and the head of peripheral nerve surgery, Paolo Titolo. The team transplanted bones, tendons and soft tissues from a toe to the finger using a very high power robot-guided microscope called Robotic Scope.

The scope transfers images from the operating field to a viewer used by the surgeon, who can therefore work with “greater ergonomics” and protected for COVID, hospital sources said.

Traditional microscopes do not allow the use of such tiny anti-COVID shields, they said.

ROME, FEB 8 - Pope Francis called on the Italian people to show unity on Monday, with the country in the grip of a political crisis in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Italian people was the first in Europe to find itself faced with the consequences of the pandemic,” he said in an audience with the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

“I call on it not to let the current difficulties defeat it, but to work in unity to build a society in which no one is cast aside or forgotten”.

The pope also recalled that this year Italy is celebrating the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante.

ROME, FEB 15 - Italy’s public debt stood at 2,569.3 billion euros at the end of 2020, 159.4 billion euros more than the 2,409.9 billion it came in at on December 31, 2019, the Bank of Italy said on Monday.

ROME, MAR 4 - Italy has placed fifth in the world in a ranking of COVID research by QS Quacquarelli Symonds , which looked at 13,883 research programmes by 1,440 universities.

The scientific database SCOPUS, created by publishing house Elsevier, was used by QS to gauge the universities’ research output. Rome’s La Sapienza University, the biggest in Europe, is the best in the world for classics and ancient history, according to the 11th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, leapfrogging the University of Oxford which slipped to second.

This emerged from a comparative analysis of the world’s universities’ performance carried out by QS in 52 Italian universities.

At a global level the rankings, compiled by QS’s higher education analysts, furnish an analysis on the performance of 13,883 university programmes by 1,440 universities in 51 disciplines.

ROME, MAR 8 - Premier Mario Draghi said Monday that “the (COVID) pandemic is not beaten but we can glimpse, with the acceleration of the vaccine plan, a way out that is not far off”.

In a videomessage to a conference titled “Towards a National Strategy on Gender parity”, Draghi said the pandemic was worsening and called on “everyone” to play their part, starting with the government. “The executive must do more with each passing day,” he said. Draghi called for “well thought out but rapid choices”.

He said nothing must be left untried, and the government should “multiply its efforts, since every life counts”.

On vaccines, Draghi stressed the importance of everyone waiting their turn, “with the fragile and atrisk categories coming first”. He said “now is not the time to divide ourselves, but to give answers”.