Category Archives: corruption

Chequebook politics

Posted on December 13, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Berlusconi’s famous for the lavish gift he bestows on friends, colleagues, employees, visiting heads of state. He’s fond of inscribed gold watches but anything flashy and expensive will do, so long as it encourages (or rewards) loyalty and impresses his … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, corruption, italy, politics, television | Leave a comment

Gazebo madness

Posted on December 5, 2007 by Charles Lambert

While I was away last weekend, Silvio Berlusconi got up to one of his customary wheezes. The jape was a replica of the one he organised a few weeks ago, when the corrupt buffoon (Mail on Sunday) covered the country … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, corruption, italy, politics | 1 Comment

A normal country

Posted on October 21, 2007 by Charles Lambert

The problem with talking about events in Italy, particularly political events, is that, as they move forward, often at a great rate and with considerable fluster, they nonetheless drag their significance behind them, fanning out into an endless murk, so … Continue reading →

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

Tengo famiglia

Posted on October 7, 2007 by Charles Lambert

La Sapienza in Rome is the largest university in Europe. This isn’t necessarily an advantage: the place is famous for its overcrowded classrooms, Byzantine administration, no-show professors, assistants in de facto charge of courses, massive drop-out rates, er, too many … Continue reading →

Posted in barone, corruption, university | 2 Comments

Mortadella turns

Posted on September 20, 2007 by Charles Lambert

The much assailed Italian PM Romano Prodi, often referred to – without affection – by his opponents as Mortadella, turned on his voters a couple of days ago from the only authoritative pulpit available: Porta a Porta, Bruno Vespa’s chat … Continue reading →

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Italietta mia

Posted on July 31, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Trawling the English press for news of home I’m rewarded by two choice glimpses into contemporary Italian sexual mores. The first is news of the arrest of two men for having kissed (termed by the carabinieri an ‘oral relationship’) outside … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, corruption, homophobia | 1 Comment

Watch out! There’s a magistrate about!

Posted on June 8, 2007 by Charles Lambert

If anyone needs to be reminded just how fragile supposedly democratic states can be, a story in yesterday’s Repubblica is exemplary. It describes the plans being drawn up by the Italian secret services soon after Berlusconi’s electoral victory in 2001 … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, corruption, democracy | Leave a comment

Where are you, UN observers, when we need you?

Posted on May 22, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Ten days ago, Palermo elected its new mayor. The choice wasn’t particularly mouth-watering. In the blue corner, for Berlusconi’s centre-right coalition, a man of no obvious merit other than a slightly oily bella figura and a clean police record. In … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, corruption, nigeria, politics | Leave a comment

Yeltsin’s inheritance

Posted on April 26, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Once more, from today’s Independent: The state over which Yeltsin presided had installed a democratic political system, albeit one in which powerful sectional interests wielded excessive influence. But, by any economic measure, society as a whole had benefited only marginally, … Continue reading →

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