Category Archives: corruption

Tengo famiglia (2)

Posted on October 3, 2008 by Charles Lambert

I had occasion to write about nepotism in Rome’s first and largest university, La Sapienza, almost a year ago, when investigations were being conducted into the university’s dean, Renato Guarini, and some confusion about a nine-million-euro tender for an underground … Continue reading →

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New docs, old tricks

Posted on September 3, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Medical faculties in Italy held their admission exams today, to decide the fortunate few thousand who’ll be working in the country’s hospitals and surgeries five, ten, fifteen years from now, depending on how long it takes them to butter their … Continue reading →

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Shopping

Posted on April 21, 2008 by Charles Lambert

One of the most intriguing aspects of last week’s elections here in Italy – perhaps the only intriguing aspect – is that so far no one has cried Brogli! Broglio is the catch-all phrase for the dirty business that goes … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, corruption, election, italy | 3 Comments

Roof stuff

Posted on April 10, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Last September, I posted a piece about the legal problems we were having with the roof of our house here in Fondi. It’s a long, and painful, story and if you don’t remember the details I suggest you click here. … Continue reading →

Posted in corruption, fondi, italy, picador | Leave a comment

Cream for (fat) cats

Posted on February 14, 2008 by Charles Lambert

This smug bastard is called Sergio De Gregorio. He was elected senator two years ago for one of the smaller parties of Prodi’s centre-left coalition. A few weeks after the election he had an epiphany, funded by Berlusconi, and discovered … Continue reading →

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It’s the money, stupid

Posted on February 6, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Clemente Mastella, ex-minister of justice and the man who brought down Prodi’s government, isn’t just a consummately self-regarding politician. He’s also a newspaper editor. Like all Italian parties, UDEUR, Mastella’s gang of hangers-on, cronies and relatives, has the right to … Continue reading →

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Bananas

Posted on January 22, 2008 by Charles Lambert

As predicted in my last post, Clemente Mastella has withdrawn his three (yes, that’s right, three) senators from the Italian senate, depriving the Prodi government of its majority of two (yes, that’s right, two). The government’s been looking like a … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, corruption, italy, politics, prodi, vatican | 4 Comments

No corruption? No party!

Posted on January 20, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Italian politicians certainly know how to celebrate. Totò Cuffaro, centre right, president of the region of Sicily (see left: modelling a coppola, traditional Sicilian headgear, in a probably mistaken photo-op), was convicted a couple of days ago of having favoured … Continue reading →

Posted in corruption, italy, mafia, politics | 4 Comments

More papal bull

Posted on January 15, 2008 by Charles Lambert

It’s Ratzinger’s week. Not content with assuming the position (see below), he’s stirred up a hornet’s nest at La Sapienza, Rome and Italy’s largest university. Invited to the inauguration of the academic year (which, typically, takes place months after it’s … Continue reading →

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Pontification

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Ratzinger’s campaign against Italy’s newly-formed Partito Democratico (PD) continues apace. Not content with planting his emotionally warped moles (read, self-mortifying Paola Binetti and the other so-called Teodems – though what they understand of theology or democracy is anybody’s guess) into … Continue reading →

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