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 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 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 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 Australian Holly Star arrived in Italy in May 2013 with absolutely no itinerary. Then all of a sudden, her life changed. https://www.thelocal.it/20160325/how-a-few-days-in-capri-transformed-this-australians-life Fri, 25 Mar 2016 13:16:26 +0100 how-a-few-days-in-capri-transformed-this-australians-life Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has defended the director of a Unesco World Heritage Site after unions filed an official complaint accusing the man charged with revitalising a Versailles-style palace of working too hard. https://www.thelocal.it/20160307/italian-unions-blast-palace-chief-for-working-too-hard Mon, 07 Mar 2016 09:20:46 +0100 italian-unions-blast-palace-chief-for-working-too-hard 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 A pair of eurosceptic parties announced on Wednesday they have plans to get Italy out of the euro currency, echoing popular anger against the 28-nation bloc. https://www.thelocal.it/20141211/two-italian-parties-calls-for-exit-from-euro Thu, 11 Dec 2014 09:19:00 +0100 two-italian-parties-calls-for-exit-from-euro Italy's most famous porn star, who has made more than 450 films, has taken on a new role as marriage guidance counsellor. https://www.thelocal.it/20130903/porn-veteran-waves-wand-to-save-italian-marriages Tue, 03 Sep 2013 13:50:00 +0200 porn-veteran-waves-wand-to-save-italian-marriages