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 Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League party are labouring to agree on a coalition government, with stark policy differences dividing them. https://www.thelocal.it/20180510/italy-five-star-movement-league-differences-government Thu, 10 May 2018 18:50:58 +0200 italy-five-star-movement-league-differences-government Italy's anti-establishment party leader Luigi Di Maio on Wednesday gave far-right leader Matteo Salvini until the "end of the week" to dump coalition ally Silvio Berlusconi and strike a deal in the latest round of Italian government talks. https://www.thelocal.it/20180419/italy-five-star-movement-ultimatum-ditch-berlusconi Thu, 19 Apr 2018 11:00:55 +0200 italy-five-star-movement-ultimatum-ditch-berlusconi Right-wing leader Matteo Salvini on Wednesday offered the first signs of compromise in the battle for power following Italy's inconclusive March 4th election, revealing that he was ready to work with anyone to form a government – except the vanquished Democratic Party. https://www.thelocal.it/20180315/italys-league-opens-the-door-to-a-deal-with-five-stars Thu, 15 Mar 2018 10:21:54 +0100 italys-league-opens-the-door-to-a-deal-with-five-stars Italians are used to living with political uncertainty thanks to the over 60 governments it has piled through since the republic was established after the Second World War. https://www.thelocal.it/20180301/what-to-expect-after-2018-march-italian-election-possible-outcomes-win Thu, 01 Mar 2018 10:25:56 +0100 what-to-expect-after-2018-march-italian-election-possible-outcomes-win Italy's election will take place on March 4th -- that much is certain. But with a new and untested electoral system, deep rifts in the ruling Democratic Party, and a possible comeback on the cards for one Silvio Berlusconi, anything could happen. https://www.thelocal.it/20180123/italian-election-2018-party-pledges-manifesto-democratic-m5s-northern-league-forza-italia Tue, 23 Jan 2018 10:05:14 +0100 italian-election-2018-party-pledges-manifesto-democratic-m5s-northern-league-forza-italia Italy took a major step towards approving a new electoral system on Wednesday, sparking protests and a countdown to knife-edge elections to be held in the first part of 2018. https://www.thelocal.it/20171012/italy-moves-closer-to-new-electoral-law-for-2018-vote Thu, 12 Oct 2017 09:59:42 +0200 italy-moves-closer-to-new-electoral-law-for-2018-vote Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi announced he would resign after his proposed constitutional reforms were overwhelmingly rejected in a referendum. If you're wondering why that's such a big deal, what's next for Italy and what this all means for Europe, read on. https://www.thelocal.it/20161205/six-questions-and-answers-after-the-italian-referendum Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:21:13 +0100 six-questions-and-answers-after-the-italian-referendum Last month, in a decision that shocked many observers, the majority of the British people voted to leave the European Union. It was a slap in the face to the established political elites, the majority of whom had strongly supported the “Remain” campaign. https://www.thelocal.it/20160726/five-star-movement-are-worth-watching-post-brexit Tue, 26 Jul 2016 14:11:30 +0200 five-star-movement-are-worth-watching-post-brexit Italian silver-screen legend Bud Spencer passed away on Monday, aged 86. https://www.thelocal.it/20160628/five-essential-bud-spencer-films-to-watch-this-weekend Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:40:51 +0200 five-essential-bud-spencer-films-to-watch-this-weekend Founded by comedian Beppe Grillo, the radical Five Star Movement burst onto the political scene in 2009, in the middle of Italy’s financial crisis. https://www.thelocal.it/20160620/has-the-time-come-for-italys-five-star-to-shine Mon, 20 Jun 2016 19:14:51 +0200 has-the-time-come-for-italys-five-star-to-shine 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 Anti-establishment candidate Virginia Raggi easily took the lead in the first round of the Rome mayoral race, partial results showed on Monday, dealing a setback to Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's ruling party. https://www.thelocal.it/20160606/anti-establishment-candidate-leads-rome-mayoral-race Mon, 06 Jun 2016 10:12:15 +0200 anti-establishment-candidate-leads-rome-mayoral-race The body of a man who died five years ago was found on Thursday in his home in Sardinia. https://www.thelocal.it/20160526/italian-man-lay-dead-in-his-flat-for-five-years-before-being-found Thu, 26 May 2016 17:54:23 +0200 italian-man-lay-dead-in-his-flat-for-five-years-before-being-found 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 A month ahead of Italian local elections, the spotlight is turning increasingly on Rome - where the anti-establishment frontrunner is vowing to clean up a city long dogged by corruption and negligence. https://www.thelocal.it/20160505/glamorous-five-star-candidate-tops-rome-mayor-race Thu, 05 May 2016 10:37:48 +0200 glamorous-five-star-candidate-tops-rome-mayor-race 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 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 has been in the throes of an economic crisis since 2008, but that hasn’t stopped the state spending €900,000 a year on lavish first-class travel and chauffeur-driven cars for its MPs, as well as continuing to pay the travel expenses of former ones. https://www.thelocal.it/20150806/italys-mps-to-lose-lavish-travel-perks Thu, 06 Aug 2015 13:44:00 +0200 italys-mps-to-lose-lavish-travel-perks 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