https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed On Sunday, Italians go to the polls to decide whether or not to vote through a set of changes to the country's constitution. It's a referendum likely to have major consequences for both Italy and Europe - here are the key facts you need to know. https://www.thelocal.it/20161202/italy-referendum-cheat-sheet-seven-key-facts-to-know Fri, 02 Dec 2016 09:58:52 +0100 italy-referendum-cheat-sheet-seven-key-facts-to-know The populist Five Star movement, which has mayors in Rome and Turin, has clearly stated it is against the Italian capital hosting the 2024 Olympic Games. https://www.thelocal.it/20160910/five-star-movement-will-fight-olympic-bid Sat, 10 Sep 2016 19:02:51 +0200 five-star-movement-will-fight-olympic-bid Voters in the Italian capital return to the polls Sunday and all the signs are that they are set to elect Virginia Raggi as the first female mayor of the Eternal City. https://www.thelocal.it/20160617/virginia-raggi-set-to-smash-romes-patriarchal-past Fri, 17 Jun 2016 12:42:10 +0200 virginia-raggi-set-to-smash-romes-patriarchal-past Their leader has been dubbed the clown prince of Italian politics. And now the Five Star Movement (M5S) looks set to be given the chance to run the circus by taking control of the country's capital. https://www.thelocal.it/20160616/is-italys-five-star-movement-up-to-the-challenge-of-running-rome Thu, 16 Jun 2016 09:11:52 +0200 is-italys-five-star-movement-up-to-the-challenge-of-running-rome Italy's acerbic Beppe Grillo may have hung up his political gloves to return to the comedy circuit, but backlash over a bomb joke targeting London's new mayor has aggravated an identity crisis within his populist Five Star movement. https://www.thelocal.it/20160517/laugh-or-cry-bomb-joke-bares-crisis-in-five-star-movement Tue, 17 May 2016 10:27:06 +0200 laugh-or-cry-bomb-joke-bares-crisis-in-five-star-movement Italy's populist Five Star Movement has thrown down the gauntlet to the government in an unexpected political manoeuvre that could not only endanger a bill allowing gay civil unions but risks crippling the party, experts say. https://www.thelocal.it/20160219/tactical-triumph-or-road-to-ruin-for-italys-five-star Fri, 19 Feb 2016 09:58:44 +0100 tactical-triumph-or-road-to-ruin-for-italys-five-star Juventus chief executive Beppe Marotta has warned the loss of key players won't put the brakes on their their bid for a record-equalling fifth consecutive scudetto, which begins on Sunday with the visit of Udinese. https://www.thelocal.it/20150821/juventus-defiant-as-drive-for-five-begins Fri, 21 Aug 2015 09:25:22 +0200 juventus-defiant-as-drive-for-five-begins Beppe Grillo, the leader of Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S), said he plans to leave politics and return to his old job as a comedian. https://www.thelocal.it/20150812/grillo-to-leave-politics-and-return-to-tv Wed, 12 Aug 2015 13:03:06 +0200 grillo-to-leave-politics-and-return-to-tv Italy's anti-establishment Five Star party, founded in 2009 by former comedian Beppe Grillo, is itching to govern and has a man primed for the top job. https://www.thelocal.it/20150803/italys-anti-establishment-five-star-party-ready-to-govern Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:15:58 +0200 italys-anti-establishment-five-star-party-ready-to-govern The leader of Italy’s Five Star Movement sparked outrage on Friday when he said there were similarities between the “depressed” Germanwings co-pilot who officials said deliberately crashed his plane, killing 150 people, and Italian premier Matteo Renzi. https://www.thelocal.it/20150327/uproar-as-grillo-likens-renzi-to-germanwings-pilot Fri, 27 Mar 2015 18:22:25 +0100 uproar-as-grillo-likens-renzi-to-germanwings-pilot Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the European Union needs to “change gears” on the economy as he marked the end of Italy’s six-month rotating presidency of the economic bloc. https://www.thelocal.it/20150113/eu-must-change-economic-gear-renzi Tue, 13 Jan 2015 16:56:00 +0100 eu-must-change-economic-gear-renzi Beppe Grillo, the leader of Italy’s Five Star Movement, said on Wednesday that the European Central Bank was a bigger enemy than either the Islamic militant group, Isis, or Russia. https://www.thelocal.it/20141112/were-at-war-with-the-ecb-not-isis-grillo Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:50:00 +0100 were-at-war-with-the-ecb-not-isis-grillo A group of Italian politicians have come under fire after they poked fun at a multiple sclerosis sufferer during a parliament session on Wednesday night. https://www.thelocal.it/20130725/italian-mps-mock-ms-sufferer Thu, 25 Jul 2013 19:07:00 +0200 italian-mps-mock-ms-sufferer