Auguri di Pronta Guarigione a Berlusconi

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--

Auguri di pronta guarigione al presidente italiano Silvio Berlusconi.

Six Italian Paratroopers Killed in Kabul

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--A car bomb packed with 330 lbs. of explosives detonated near two Italian convoy vehicles in Kabul, Afghanistan today at 12:10 (UTC+4:30), killing six Italian Paratroopers and wounding four. The soldiers were part of the 186th Paratrooper Regiment, Brigata Folgore di Siena. Two Afghan civilians were also killed in the attack.

A Taliban spokesman confirmed that the operation was carried out to "prove that no one can consider themselves safe in Afghanistan".

Today's attack is the highest single-day loss of life suffered by the Italian military since November 12, 2003, when 19 Italians were killed in Nassiriya, Iraq by a car bomb.

Since 2004, 21 Italians have died in combat while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom.

US Defender Oguchi Onyewu Traded to AC Milan

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--In what is sure to be the first of many off-season acquisitions, Berlusconi and AC Milan have acquired a parametro zero Oguchi Onyewu.

Onyewu, a center back who is an integral part of the US men's national team's defense, previously played for Standard Liège in Belgium.

Italy to Take Three Gitmo Detainees

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--In what is sure to be a controversial gesture Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi confirmed this week that Italy will accept three detainees from the U.S. Navy's Guantánamo Bay installation.

Speaking in May 2009 Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini stated that Italy was studying the possibility of taking "two Tunisians" from the Cuba-based detention center.

EU foreign ministers endorsed the idea of prisoner transfers to EU territory after the Obama administration expressed desire to close down the prison by January 2010.

Prison transfers to the EU will be on the condition that the US "recognizes its responsibility to accept certain former detainees" -- a move that is largely unpopular in the United States. There are 230 prisoners reported to still be in the Guantánamo Bay facility.

Italy is the fifth EU nation to accept detainees. England, France, Albania and Sweden have already accepted prisoners, and just yesterday the Obama administration formally asked Spain.

Fiat Reaches Deal with Chrysler

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Torino-based automaker Fiat signed a deal today with U.S. automaker Chrysler, one which will give the Italian giant a 51% stake in one of America's premier automobile manufacturers by 2013.

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Massive Earthquake Rocks Abruzzo

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--A massive earthquake rocked L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region early this morning (03:32 Rome), registering a 6.3 on the Richter scale and significantly damaging 26 villages in the outskirts of this central Italian capital. Locals report that some villages are "90% destroyed."

The earthquake, leaving 294 dead, forced Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to declare an immediate state of emergency and cancel his trip to Russia.

Emergency services are reporting that 27,000 are homeless and L'Aquila's main hospital is "90% out-of-order."

L'Aquila, 60 miles east of Rome, is well-known in Italy for the its National Park, il Gran Sasso d'Italia.

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Enel Signs Nuclear Agreement with EDF

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Enel (ENEL.MI), the world's third-largest power company, and France's EDF (Euronext: EEN), France's largest energy provider, have inked a deal to begin the construction of four nuclear power stations in Italy.

Construction of the power stations, whose sites are not yet determined, will begin in 2013 and is set to be completed in 2020.

The deal marks an end to Italy's 22-year long opposition to nuclear power generation, and strengthens France's position as the world's largest exporter of electrical power.

France, long a producer and exporter of nuclear energy, fulfills 80% of domestic electricity needs from nuclear power and exports 18% of its production.

Other nuclear power producers that are reportedly keen on developing power stations in the newly-opened Italian market include the United States' Westinghouse, Germany's E.ON AG (FWB: EOAN) and Italy's Edison (EDN.MI).

Fiat Stock Ends Week with Sharp Net Loss

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Turin-based Fiat SpA (BIT: F) ended the week with a -22% loss ($4.75 USD to $3.57 USD), after reports predicted a 2% GDP contraction in the Eurozone for 2009 and general fears over the company's industrial debt, released Thursday at 5.9 billion EUR.

Rome's La Repubblica recently reported that the Agnelli family is considering a 2 billion EUR capital increase.

Fiat's fall this week comes as somewhat of a surprise, however, considering Wednesday's announcement of a strategic alliance with Chrysler LLC.

The Chrysler deal gives Fiat SpA a 35% stake in the American automaker, and opens the U.S. market to Fiat and Alfa Romeo automobiles. The top brass at Fiat is hoping that the Fiat 500 (pictured below) will do well in the American market at an estimated $13,020 USD price tag.

The Chrysler deal includes $4 billion USD in U.S. government emergency loans plus an additional $3 billion USD in federal aid, and will give Chrysler access to a new market and new technology produced by Fiat SpA. Fiat and Alfa Romeo automobiles will be produced in Chrysler factories, giving needed industrial output to America's ailing manufacturing sector.

If the process moves as projected Fiat 500s will be rolling on American streets within 18-24 months.

Italy Raises Terror Alert

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Due to heightened chatter and the upcoming Christmas season Italian authorities have issued an allarme terrorismo--terror warning--requesting that citizens be extra vigilant in the weeks ahead.

Roberto Maroni, Italy's Minister of Internal Affairs, stated today that their attention is "extremely high" and that Italian law enforcement offficials have stepped up controls to places typically associated with large crowds such as "supermarkets, malls, churches and other places of worship in order to prevent terrorist actions."

Italy, although being a significant contributor to the unpopular US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, enjoys extensive diplomatic and commerical ties with Libya, Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine, and is generally viewed as a less-biased power broker in Mideast affairs.

Following Israel's 2006 invasion of Lebanon, local authorities dismissed French control a month earlier than anticipated, transferring control of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) to the Italians.

Obama? "Bello, giovane e abbronzato."

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--The Italian press is reporting that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was the only member of the G7 that did not receive a telephone call from Barack Obama post-election.

The slight is being attributed to Berlusconi's perceived racial gaffe.

In a press conference a day after America elected its first black president, Silvio Berlusconi called Barack Obama "handsome, young and suntanned... ...so I think we will work well together." The word, abbronzato -- suntanned -- and the entire phrase, is not being taken or translated particularly well by the Italian and foreign media.

In addition to speaking with all of the G7 members, notably a lengthy conversation with French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy whose country holds the 6-month rotating EU presidency, U.S. president-elect Barack Obama also telephoned the leaders of Israel, Mexico, South Korea, and Australia.

Spain's Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq two days after his April 17, 2004 election, also made the "do not call list," with the European press reporting that he was not privy to Obama's first round of telephone cordialities.

Budget Cuts Planned to Italy's Schools

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--The Italian government, per Mariastella Gelmini, recently proposed massive budget cuts to its schools and universities, affecting 87,000 professors and 44,000 researchers. The cuts also affect maintenance of the building's structures.

Walter Veltroni, the leader of Italy's center-left Democratic party (PD), and Italy's opposition candidate, has promised to have the decree repealed.

One controversial addition to the proposed educational reform bill calls for "foreign students" to be taught in different classrooms, in the afternoon for intensive language classes. While many see intensive language classes as having a positive effect on the long-term education system, Gelmini was nevertheless forced to defend herself after claims of racism were lodged against her.

Gelmini has stated: "Racism has nothing to do with it. This has to do with integration. A little child, if he doesn't know the language, he learns it immediately. But a 10-year old, newly arrived in Italia, they will lag behind..."

Mosques Flourish in Italy

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--In what is believed to be one of Europe's -- and the world's -- most Catholic countries, a neighbor has arrived: Islam. Italy's history with Islam dates back hundreds of years when Sicily (from 965 to 1062) was conquered and ruled by North Africans. The recent wave of immigration, however, is making some Italians uneasy, in a country and continent that is desperately fighting to retain its culture.

Most vocal is La Lega Nord, a party from Italy's far north that is often associated with xenophobic and ultra-nationalistic views. Claiming that Italy is "for the Italians", the party is hoping to ban the construction of minarets, outlawing muezzins, requiring that all prayers be carried out in Italian -- "to see if they are praising Holy War" -- as well as instituting a ban on all commerce -- "to avoid the souks."

The measures are sure to stir some debate on the television programs and at dinner tables throughout Italy, but implementation of any of the proposed laws, in a country that values freedom of religion, seems unlikely.


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NBC: "Berlusconi is too old for Beijing"

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--The Italian press is taking much note of NBC's excessively harsh treatment of Italia, underlining NBC's Bob Costas' and Matt Lauer's comments: "Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi chose to not be here tonight alongside 80 other heads of state... ...because in Beijing it's too hot, too hot for him... ...at 72 he is too old for such a trip."

Lo SCEC to the Rescue?

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Since the introduction of the euro many Italians have been skeptical of its benefit, pointing out that the common currency raised housing and food costs. Seven years later, some Italian cities have found a solution: lo SCEC.

Lo SCEC stands for "Sconto ChE Cammina" -- the discount that works -- and it has already been introduced within the city limits of Napoli and Trento. The money is distributed freely and creates a subterranean collective economy based on mutual trust, since any business at any time can choose to stop accepting SCECs.

Lo SCEC provides the consumer and the producer a discounted price on the euro; if a store offers a 20% discount on items, a 10 EUR item would cost 8 SCEC.

The site www.progrettoscec.com details that 110,400 SCEC are in circulation, and the numbers could grow due to Beppe Grillo's recent support for the currency.

The initiative, started by groups of small business owners, private citizens and artisans, determined that the fundamental problem was that the euro immerged and is managed "in the exclusive interest of the banks, not the citizens." In Italy, where a large part of the population feels that they have lost purchasing power since the introduction of the euro, the introduction of lo SCEC is a noteworthy development.

Berlusconi is Back

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--He will be greeted with shreiks of joy -- and agony -- having defeated his opponent by close to a 10-point margin.

In the rollercoaster ride that is Italian politics, Silvio Berlusconi is poised to become Italy's Prime Minister -- for a third time.

The Italian Left has all but collapsed and their candidate, Walter Veltroni, embarassed at the polls.

Veltroni, a journalist by profession and the head of the Italian Democratic Party, was mayor of Rome from 2001-2008, having resigned on February 13, 2008 to campaign.


Developing...

La Caduta di Prodi

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Prime Minister Prodi's 20-month reign -- and Italy's 61st post-WWII government -- has fallen. Will new elections be called or will President Napolitano orchestrate some sort of reshuffle?

Things are uncertain; meanwhile the opposition celebrates with prosecco and mortadella...

Berlusconi to the Rescue

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Berlusconi announced today in Milan's Piazza San Babila that Forza Italia will be dissolved, and he will form a new party, Il Parito del Popolo Italiano.

Stay tuned...

Will Italy's Churches Become Mosques?

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--In Ponzano Veneto, a small Italian town north of Venice in the province of Treviso, one parish priest has an idea: on Fridays, his church will become a mosque.

Given Italy's declining rate of practicing Catholics and church-goers, don Aldo Danieli, in conjunction with il Centro Islamico di Treviso, has decided to open his doors to Muslims each Friday in the name of religious integration.

Ponzano Veneto (pop. 11,400) has an estimated 650 immigrants, most of whom come from Eastern Europe and North Africa.

The idea of changing a church into a mosque, if even temporarily, is creating a stir in this corner of Italy, known for its far-right, anti-immigrant party la Lega Nord. Luca Zaia of la Lega Nord has asked for "clarifications", stating that he is not yet convinced that the position taken by don Danieli is in line with that of la Santa Sede. Furthermore, Zaia has emphasized that it is the job of the immigrants to integrate themselves into Italian society, not vice versa.

In spite of the onslaught of criticism, don Danieli's position remains strong and unwavering, with him stating calmly: "I prefer Muslims that pray to Christians who swear."

Torino Politecnico Increases All-English Programs; Participants to Pay No Tax

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--In a blow to Italian language lobbyers everywhere, il Politecnico di Torino recently announced that it will provide more English-only programs, aimed at attracting foreign students. To pour salt in the wound, the English-only participants will pay no taxes for their first year of study.

Statistics vary greatly, but in all available data, Italian usage lags roughly ten places behind English, Spanish, French and German. Italian, the 24th most spoken language in the world with 61 million native speakers, comprising 2% of the EU, trails behind the other EU economic engines' languages: Britain (English 2nd); Spain (Spanish 4th); France (French 10th); Germany (German 12th).

Critics of the "no taxation program" claim that Italians choosing to study in the madrelingua are unfairly penalized. University officials see a different picture, however, noting that the students they hope to attract often come from China, India and the Arab World, places where English is widely studied.

All English-language programs are not new to Italy, with Milan's Bocconi introducing all-English degrees in 2001, and Firenze and Bologna offering similar programs.

Last February Prime Minister Romano Prodi lobbyed to reinforce Italian's prominence in the EU. The EU currently has only English and French-speaking spokesmen, and press conferences that were once translated into Italian, have had funding cut.

"Il Mercato della Pasta" Under Investigation

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--


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150 of These

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Beginning in December the Italian government will issue 150 EUR ($213) to each povero. Within the context of the program, a povero is someone who takes home less than 7,500 EUR($10,664) a year, therefore accounting for 13% of Italy. 150 EUR will be distributed a testa -- per head, so a family of four would receive 600 EUR ($853) a year.

The initiative, which will cost the Italian government 2 billion EUR, also plans to provide rent vouchers for renters earning less than 15,493.71 EUR ($22,030) a year, granting the renters an annual rent detraction of 300 EUR ($426.50).

To quell Italy's housing problem, in Italy known as gli sfratti -- the evicted, la Finanziaria plans to invest 550 million EUR over the short-term in low-income housing.

Luciano Pavarotti Dead at 71

"Remember me as an opera singer"

Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)

Tornatore Mugged in Rome

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Giuseppe Tornatore, the Sicilian-born cinematic genius who brought us Cinema Paradiso and Il Camorrista, has been mugged in Rome by three gypsies.

The thieves assaulted Tornatore, taking his iPod, cellular phone and wallet. Dealt a blow to the head, Tornatore fell and was found by a passerby who brought him to a nearby hospital on the Isola Tibertina in Rome. He is currently being treated for a trauma cranico--traumatic brain injury. The three criminals have been arrested by the polizia romana in a nomad camp on the outskirts of Rome.

Italy Watch wishes Giuseppe Tornatore, an artistic genius and inspiration to all to us, a speedy recovery.

Firenze Begins Crackdown on "Lavavetri"

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--In the pastoral provincia of Firenze, the lavavetri--window washers--are afraid. In the past few days Firenze began a crackdown, arresting 15 people on Aug. 28th, after the local government issued a directive the day prior.

Councillor of Security, Graziano Cioni, has come under fire, but affirms that the directive is not against "the poor", but rather an answer to "the arrogance and aggression that many window washers direct towards automobile drivers who do not pay them as much as they would like."

Prominent Italian intellectual Alberto Asor Rosa (not even a fiorentino, but a romano) criticized Cioni calling the new law a cialtronata--something that is good-for-nothing. Cioni hit back contending that Rosa doesn't even live among "the people" anymore. Cioni continued, stressing, "certain intellectuals don't even live in the cities anymore with the people. I, however, I live among the people and the citizens side with me."

The law remains in vigor, arrests continue to be made, with prison sentences lasting up to 3 months.

Ecomostro Installed in Venice

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Apparently, Santiago Calatrava knows nothing about aestethics or architectural continuity, because Italy has a new ecomostro (see "martedi, aprile 25, 2006 for more on Italian ecomostri). Calatrava, the Spanish architect who won a 1999 competion to design a fourth bridge spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, has finally installed his monstrosity, angering many Venetians.

Some Venetians call it Il Ponte Roma, some Il Quarto Ponte, and others simply Il Ponte della Vergogna -- The Bridge of Shame. In a city whose future is so dependent on preservation, it's disappointing to see an eyesorer of a project like this gain approval (in 2002), and finally be completed.

One of the main groups that fought against its approval was HBGroup, Human Basics, a consortium of architects and engineers that ensures that projects are suitable for use by the disabled. According to the HBGroup, the Calatrava bridge is in violation of Italian laws on accessibility, and the disabled will now have to cross this bridge using a tramway, still to be installed.

Pictured below is the El Puente del Alamillo (Sevilla), another questionable Calatrava-signed ecomostro, looming over the Sevillan skyline.

A New Mosque Every Four Days

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Egyptian-born Corriere della Sera columnist and author Magdi Allam recently put forth an eye-opening statistic: a new mosque is born in Italy every 4 days.

That's 7 a month, 91 a year. Since 2000 il Belpaese, the territorial mass in which resides il Vaticano, has doubled in Islamic institutions (351 mosques in 2000 to 735 today), and at the current growth rate, it's not inconceivable to envision a future where there are more (functioning) Islamic institutions in Italy than Catholic ones. Italy abounds with churches, but they have become largely tourist attractions that struggle to maintain membership levels.

The biggest mosque in Europe, the Mosque of Rome (pictured above), was desired by and paid for by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Construction of La Moschea di Roma started in 1984 but was not completed until 1995. La Moschea di Roma is in the north of Rome, at the foot of i Monti Parioli in the Acqua Acetosa neighborhood. (N.d.R.: See below, F/green line)

Italy, unlike its other European neighbors, has not had any significant problems with integrating its Muslim population. Nevertheless, many Italians, who are still largely "culturally Catholic", fear that Italy is becoming irreversibly bound to Islam. Magdi Allam, the biggest voice on Islam in Italy today -- and also its fiercest critic (since the passing of Oriana Fallaci) -- aims to educate and "alert" the Italian public that a conflict is forming under their very own eyes.

Magdi Allam does a daily column called Noi e gli altri -- Us and the Others -- and is the author of a half dozen books: Jihad in Italia, Kamikaze made in Europe, and Vincere la paura. La mia vita contro il terrorismo islamico e l'incoscienza dell'Occidente (Defeating fear. My life against Islamic terrorism and the unconsciousness of the West).

Il Gran Antonioni Se Ne Va

(Michelangelo Antonioni, courtesy of ANSA)

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Known in the Stati Uniti for Blow-Up and L'Avventura, the Ferrara-born director Michelangelo Antonioni passed away yesterday evening in the city of his birth, calmly seated on an arm chair next to his wife. Antonioni was 95, and leaves behind a vast catalogue of films, many of which stressed his belief that actions and behavior -- not words, are integral to the essence of mankind. He leaves a blanket of silence in a country so dearly attached to cinema.

"La solitudine e' la mancanza di parole intorno a noi."

Michelangelo Antonioni

"Solitude is the lack of words around us."

Totti To Leave La Squadra Nazionale

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Francesco Totti, the captain of AS Roma and the Italian National team, "gli azzurri", announced to the press yesterday that he will no longer play with the Italian National team. Totti has decided to dedicate the remainer of his football career to AS Roma, his home team and birth city. Speaking to the press, Totti said: "The word 'finished' is an ugly word, but I've decided to close my chapter with the National team for physical, not technical reasons... ...I'm sorry, but my health is the most important thing." Citing knees and back problems, Totti, 31, admitted that playing with two teams was simply too much. He did not, however, leave the stage without sowing the seeds of polemics, expressing his belief that the press (especially those of the North) was overly harsh on him this past year because he is a Roman, a Southerner.

("I have purged you again")

Milan To Impose Strict Traffic Restrictions

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--This fall the city of Milan will slap motor vehicle polluters with substantial traffic tariffs. The tariffs, which will be applied upon each entry into the designated traffic zone, will start around 2 euro and creep upwards to 10 euro. The price variability will depend on the type of motor vehicle used, and amount of emissions produced. Local government officials claim that the city's emissions rates will be halved. The proposed program is similar to the one mapped out by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, which requires all drivers in Manhattan (below 96th St.) to pay an $8 fee during business hours.

Oil Exploration Underway in Chianti

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Heritage Petrolium Plc, a British petroleum company, has been granted permits to perform preliminary exploration in Italy's Chianti region for petroleum reserves. The majority of the drilling will take place in the region surrounding San Gimignano, and extend south toward Siena.

1,553 square kilometers (600 square miles -- slightly larger than the city of Houston, TX) are open to drilling, although Heritage Petroleum Plc and local Italian government officials in Chianti claim that no current plans exist for drilling.

The 6-year exploratory contracts pose obvious problems for a region whose livelihood is tied to agriculture, wine and rural tourism. If Chianti loses its land, with it goes its agroeconomic base and rustic charm.