Children unable to eat in school cafeterias due to crisis in Italy

In Italy the majority of schoolchildren are enrolled in public schools. They will usually have lunch in the school cafeteria, but they have to pay for it by presenting a voucher bought by their parents for a political price. With the crisis, more and more families are unable to afford the vouchers. As a result … Continue reading →

The lawyers’ strikes in Italy

In Italy, nearly all lawyer are self-employed, therefore technically they cannot strike. However, they often refuse to participate to hearings en mass, and judges will simply postpone them. Italian lawyers’ grievances are various. Trials are too long, something that ironically they are usually blamed for. Prosecutors are too powerful. Jails are too crowded. Fees are … Continue reading →

Operations to remove Costa Concordia wreck set to begin

Government Commissioner Franco Gabrielli announced that the operations to remove the wreck of cruise ship Costa Concordia will begin on Monday. The Italian Government entrusted with the unprecedented task the US enterprise Titan Salvage and the Italian one Micoperi. The salvage is going to cost 600 million euros to be paid by the Costa Crociere … Continue reading →

Presidential pardon never so popular in Italy

The presidential power of grant pardons and commute sentences has never been under the spotlight in Italy like in these days. Some people think that President Giorgio Napolitano should pardon Mr Silvio Berlusconi to avoid that the leader of a huge political party is jailed, or at least to save the Letta Government. But there … Continue reading →

Senate Jury is new Italian battlefield

Every Chamber of the bicameral Italian Parliament has a special Jury whose purpose is tendering advice to the Chamber on the exercise of two very important parliamentary powers: the power to rule on any electoral dispute (excluding the jurisdiction of ordinary Courts) and the power to waive parliamentary immunity. The Senate Jury is currently busy … Continue reading →

Vesuvio “will erupt”, warns Japanese expert

Japanese volcanologist Nakada Setsuya, while attending a scientific conference in Italy, said that an eventual eruption of the Vesuvio, the iconic volcano of Naples, is “a sure thing”. Mr Setsuya added that “Italian should better talk about it and get ready, so that they have a plan to handle the situation”. According to plans recently … Continue reading →

The Venice Film Festival

The Venice Film Festival was born in 1893, when the Municipality of Venice resolved to organize a national art exposition to be held every two years. In 1894, the Municipality amended its resolution, opening the exposition to foreign artists. In 1907, Belgium became the first foreign Nation to open a pavilion in the Festival. In … Continue reading →

Italy without school inspectors

School inspectors are particularly important in Italy because, while the majority of schools is State-run, there is a sizable number of recognized private schools, mainly Catholic schools. Such schools can issue diplomas with full legal value and get State aids for themselves and their pupils. Therefore, it is important that State inspector be vigilant in … Continue reading →

Letta Government likely to survive crisis

Silvio Berlusconi threatened to torpedo the Letta Government unless the execution of the judgement passed against him for tax fraud is stopped somehow. This is unlikely to happen, but the Letta Government will probably stand anyway. First of all, Berlusconi could be simply unable to dismiss it, since some MPs of his own party and … Continue reading →