Italy news and discussions

[caltrek]

Italy Gripped by Anarchist’s Hunger Strike Against Solitary Confinement
by Cain Burdeau
January 31, 2023

Introduction:

(Courthouse News) — The fate of an imprisoned Italian anarchist vowing to die if necessary during a hunger strike to protest his country's harsh regime of solitary confinement has become the topic of heated debates and sparked a series of alleged anarchist attacks.

On Monday, Alfredo Cospito, 55, was moved from a maximum-security prison on the island of Sardinia to Milan's Opera prison due to his worsening health condition. He's refused food for the past 104 days and Italian authorities said he would receive better medical care in Milan.

His lawyer says he will not be force-fed in Milan and that his hunger strike will continue. He's been placed in a system of extreme solitary confinement designed to seal off mafia bosses from running their crime rings from inside prison walls.

By Tuesday, his case was the lead story in Italian newspapers and news shows. His protest is sparking political and public debates over whether Cospito should be seen as a political prisoner rather than a security threat who needs to be shut off from nearly all contact with the outside world.
Since going on hunger strike, Cospito has said he'd rather die than live the rest of his life locked away under Italy's harsh isolation system.

Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/italy-g ... finement/

[caltrek]

Where’s the Far-right Meloni? Defying Expectations, Italy’s Leader Keeps Lid on Radical Politics
by Cain Burdeau
February 10, 2023

Introduction:

(Courthouse News) — After more than 100 days in office, far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proven to be anything but the “most dangerous woman in Europe,” as the popular German news magazine Stern described her on the eve of her election win last September.

Instead of dangerous, Meloni, the 46-year-old leader of the neo-fascist Brothers of Italy party, has proven to be remarkably moderate, cautious and even a bit boring – a very nimble politician, in other words.

Meloni has served as the prime minister of Italy's right-wing coalition for slightly more than 100 days and she's done little to spook the European Union's leaders and financial markets.

Indeed, Italy's first female premier has been warmly welcomed in Brussels as she massages away her anti-EU and far-right rhetoric.

“She has proven to be very adaptable,” said Gianfranco Pasquino, an emeritus political science professor at the University of Bologna and a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna. “She has proven to be not ideological.”

Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/wheres- ... politics/

caltrek’s comment: It is still more than a little bit disconcerting that Meloni seemed to gain power by appealing to the far right through her rhetoric. Of course, one possibility is that the “liberal” media was just plain paranoid. I think it is more a matter of being more pragmatic once in power. Something that can never be counted upon.

Meloni could also take a sudden turn to the right.

[caltrek]

The following is a government news release, and thus not subject to copy right related restrictions on length.

Italy Has Just Banned ChatGPT
March 31 , 2023

Entire English Language Version of News Release:

(GPDP) Artificial intelligence: stop to ChatGPT by the Italian SA

Personal data is collected unlawfully, no age verification system is in place for children

No way for ChatGPT to continue processing data in breach of privacy laws. The Italian SA imposed an immediate temporary limitation on the processing of Italian users’ data by OpenAI, the US-based company developing and managing the platform. An inquiry into the facts of the case was initiated as well.

A data breach affecting ChatGPT users’ conversations and information on payments by subscribers to the service had been reported on 20 March. ChatGPT is the best known among relational AI platforms that are capable to emulate and elaborate human conversations.

In its order, the Italian SA highlights that no information is provided to users and data subjects whose data are collected by Open AI; more importantly, there appears to be no legal basis underpinning the massive collection and processing of personal data in order to ‘train’ the algorithms on which the platform relies.

As confirmed by the tests carried out so far, the information made available by ChatGPT does not always match factual circumstances, so that inaccurate personal data are processed.

Finally, the Italian SA emphasizes in its order that the lack of whatever age verification mechanism exposes children to receiving responses that are absolutely inappropriate to their age and awareness, even though the service is allegedly addressed to users aged above 13 according to OpenAI’s terms of service.

OpenAI is not established in the EU, however it has designated a representative in the European Economic Area. It will have to notify the Italian SA within 20 days of the measures implemented to comply with the order, otherwise a fine of up to EUR 20 million or 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover may be imposed.

Source and to read Italian version: https://www.gpdp.it/web/guest/home/doc ... 7#english

[weatheriscool]

The modern right is pro-idiocy so of course they're going to ban it. lol. This is why they need to be defeated where ever they're found and sent packing to the street. These people can't stand freedom, an informed public or rationality. They live and die on the hill of having dumbasses vote for their idiotic ideas and controlling information being fed to the idiotic.

[Time_Traveller]

Fascism’s return to Italy? The meaning of the Fratelli d’Italia

8th April 2023

The victory of the Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) in the Italian general election held in September 2022, where it emerged as the biggest party, poses sharp questions.

The overall vote for the right-wing electoral coalition—composed of the Fratelli, Matteo Salvini’s Lega and Silvio Berlusconi’s declining Forza Italia—was little changed, but much depends on the understanding of the nature of the Fratelli. The Fratelli’s share of the vote leapt from 4.4 percent in 2016 to 26 percent in 2022. It gained nearly 6 million votes and became the leading party on the right. If the Fratelli is seen as essentially another right-wing conservative force then this is of only limited significance. If, however, the Fratelli is seen, as I will argue, as a much more defined fascist force than the far-right Lega, let alone the conservative Forza Italia, then the sense of alarm and danger must be far greater.

What cannot be denied is that a party with its origins in post-war neo-fascism is now the senior party in a governing coalition for the first time in Italy or elsewhere in Western Europe. The Fratelli’s leader, Giorgia Meloni, sits as prime minister. This is a party that traces its historical roots back to the Italian Social Movement (Movimento Sociale Italiano; MSI), which was established in 1946 by veterans of Benito Mussolini’s Nazi-collaborationist Italian Social Republic (Republicca Sociale Italiana), also known as the Salò Republic. Meloni herself entered politics by joining the MSI as a 15 year old. A former leading MSI cadre, Ignazio La Russa, is now the president of the Italian Senate.

Campaigning under its motto of “God, Fatherland and Family”, redolent of Italy’s fascist era, the Fratelli has, since 2017, chosen a party logo with the same well known tricolour flame image long used by the MSI. Indeed, to add to the troubling historical allusions, Meloni’s formal appointment as prime minister took place within a week of the centenary of Mussolini’s installation into the same position by King Victor Emmanuel III on 31 October 1922.

Yet, this also highlights the major differences between these two moments. Mussolini’s path to power, whatever its outward constitutional forms, was paved by a two-year wave of violent reaction directed against Italy’s workers’ movement. Fascist squads, known as the “blackshirts”, conducted, invariably with extensive state complicity, a campaign of terror, starting in the Po River valley and across Apulia in the winter of 1920-21, and then spreading through Italy’s major cities in 1921-22. The fascist “squadristi” waged a low intensity civil war against the left and workers’ organisations, leaving thousands dead and thousands more injured.

http://isj.org.uk/the-fratelli-ditalia/

[Powers]

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2273
Merge?

[raklian]

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2273
Merge?

It's merged now. Guys, please use this thread to discuss matters related to Italy.

[Powers]

It's merged now. Guys, please use this thread to discuss matters related to Italy.

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2110

[caltrek]

Italy Risks Leaving Billions on the Table as Clock Ticks on Gigantic Recovery Plan
by Cain Burdeau
May 26, 2023

Introduction:

(Courthouse News) — The clock is ticking and Italy is panicking.

A political storm is brewing over Italy's struggles to meet deadlines, targets and requirements set out by the European Union in order to receive billions of euros in pandemic recovery aid that, in theory, could reawaken Italy's moribund economy and launch the creaky nation into the future.
The scale of the problem — and the risk of failure — is huge and sparking political rows over how and how much of the money should be spent.

Projects are at risk or have already been lost, including plans to build many new preschools, expand the map of electric vehicle charging stations, a major enlargement of Cinecittà, Italy's famous national film studios, and much-needed repairs to old municipal water systems.

“They are having trouble spending the money,” said Martina Zaghi, a data journalist with Fondazione Openpolis, an Italian watchdog group. She tracks the recovery funds.

This week, Raffaele Fitto, the minister overseeing Italy's recovery money, ignited more furor by suggesting the country can't spend all the EU funds and needs to overhaul its plans. Fitto quickly retracted his statements to La Stampa newspaper as others inside his government and in the opposition cried foul. Still, he's busy tinkering with Italy's aspirations.

Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/italy-r ... ry-plan/

[wjfox]

Ex-Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi dies at 86

- Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's flamboyant media mogul and politician who led the country four times, has died aged 86

- His flamboyant personality struck a chord with the Italian electorate, which continued to back him despite allegations of corruption and double-dealing

- He was prime minister four times - each time it seemed his political career was over, he managed to bounce back

- Nine years after he was banned from public office for tax fraud, he was back in parliament, elected to Italy's Senate before he turned 86 in September 2022

- It was often his private life - his fondness for surrounding himself with young women, and the ensuing scandals - that made global headlines

- Italy's defence minister, Guido Crosetto, says: "An era is over, an era is closing. I love him so very much"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-65192917



ReutersCopyright

[caltrek]

Meloni, Italy’s Anti-immigrant Leader, Swims in Turmoil as Migrant Flows Spike Under Her Watch
by Cain Burdeau
September 15, 2023

Introduction:

PALERMO, Sicily (Courthouse News) — After nearly a year at the helm, the anti-immigrant far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is facing her first major political crisis after thousands of migrants aboard dozens of small boats began overwhelming the tiny Sicilian island of Lampedusa this week.

The arrival of so many migrants is undermining Meloni's image as the ardent champion of Italy's right-wing nationalists who see migration as Italy's biggest threat.

“It is becoming a bigger and bigger source of political embarrassment for her and also it's starting to create some tension within the ruling coalition,” said Wolfango Piccoli, an analyst at Teneo, a London-based political risk firm.

By Wednesday, more than 7,000 migrants, most of them fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa, had reached Lampedusa, overwhelming an island with a population of 7,000.

Although the island has long been a destination for migrants due to its proximity to North Africa, this week's influx was seen as among the most chaotic in many years. Filippo Mannino, the island's mayor, declared a state of emergency as he blasted Meloni and European Union leaders for not doing enough to help.

Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/meloni- ... -watch

[Time_Traveller]

African Union Commission calls for ‘paradigm shift’ at Italy-Africa summit

Mon 29 Jan 2024 17.38 GMT

The chair of the African Union Commission has said “we are not beggars” as the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, outlined a plan aimed at helping African countries to prosper in return for curbing illegal immigration.

Speaking at the much anticipated Italy-Africa summit in Rome, Moussa Faki welcomed Italy’s overtures for a mutually beneficial strengthening of relations with the African continent, but said: “We cannot be satisfied with mere promises that can’t be kept.”

Faki said a “paradigm shift” was required to usher in “a new model of partnership” and pave the way “towards a more just and coherent world”. He said: “Africa does not want to reach out. We are not beggars.”

Leaders and representatives from 45 African nations, including the presidents of Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, the Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe and Somalia, were in the Italian capital to hear the details of Meloni’s so-called “Mattei plan”, a flagship policy inspired by Enrico Mattei, the founder of the oil company Eni who in the 1950s pushed for Italy to support African countries to develop their natural resources and improve their economies.

The summit, hosted in the prestigious Palazzo Madame, the seat of the Italian senate, was also attended by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Council president, Charles Michel, and Roberta Metsola, the head of the EU parliament.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/ ... gia-meloni

[weatheriscool]

[Powers]

[weatheriscool]

Vatican says Pope Francis is in critical condition

BY NICOLE WINFIELD AND SILVIA STELLACCI
Updated 1:22 PM EST, February 22, 2025

ROME (AP) -- Pope Francis was in critical condition Saturday after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen, the Vatican said.

The 88-year-old Francis, who has been hospitalized for a week with a complex lung infection, also received blood transfusions after tests showed a condition associated with anemia, the Vatican said in a late update. ... "The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved," the statement said.

Earlier, doctors said that Francis was battling a pneumonia and a complex respiratory infection that doctors say remains touch-and-go and will keep him hospitalized for at least another week.

The Vatican carried on with its Holy Year celebrations without the pope on Saturday. ... In a brief earlier update on Saturday, Francis slept well overnight. ... But doctors have warned that the main threat facing Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope's medical team said in their first in-depth update on the pope's condition.

{snip}

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis ... 1fadafa0a4

[firestar464]

Italy slams door on people hoping to claim citizenship through great-grandparents

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/01/trav ... index.html

[weatheriscool]

[firestar464]

Cardinals pick new pope as white smoke seen at Vatican

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/08/new-pop ... tican.html

[caltrek]

Italy Suspends Defense Agreement With Israel Amid Mounting Public Pressure to Cut Ties
By Stephen Prager
April 14, 2026

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) The Italian government has suspended a military cooperation agreement with Israel in response to its attacks against Lebanon in recent weeks, which have killed hundreds of people.

Italy’s right-wing prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced on Tuesday that it was suspending an agreement with Israel that dates back to 2003 and involved cooperation between the two countries, which traded military equipment and shared technical data.

“In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defense agreement with Israel,” Meloni said on Tuesday.

It marks a dramatic shift in policy for Italy’s government, which has until recently been one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe. Amid the genocide in Gaza, Meloni has faced pressure both from opposition parties and from the public to cut ties with Israel for more than a year.

The relationship appears to have finally frayed with the events of the past several weeks, when Israel launched an invasion of Lebanon that has involved the displacement of more than 1 million people, the razing of entire villages, and the aggressive bombing of civilian areas.

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/ital ... ense-deal

[weatheriscool]

Pope Leo says world 'being ravaged by handful of tyrants' after Trump attacks

Source: The Independent

Thursday 16 April 2026 13:24 BST

Pope Leo has said that the world is being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” amid a deepening row over the war in Iran with US President Donald Trump. Speaking on a visit to Cameroon, the pontiff blasted leaders who spend billions on wars in unusually forceful remarks.

Leo, the first American pope, also decried leaders who used religious language to justify wars and urged a "decisive change of course". "The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild," the pontiff said.

"They turn a blind eye to the fact that ⁠billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, ​education ⁠and restoration are nowhere to be found." The pontiff sharply criticised leaders who invoked religious themes to justify wars, saying: “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”

He said the world had “turned upside down” and that said that it is an “exploitation of God’s creation that must be denounced and ‌rejected by every honest conscience.” Leo has emerged as an outspoken critic of Trump’s war in Iran, which has sparked fighting across the Middle East and a global economic crisis.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 58952.html