The Future of the Five Star Movement
Plus, the town that banned cricket and highlights from Milan fashion week SS25
It’s been a while since the Movimento Cinque Stelle (M5S) has been in the news. After a meteoritic rise in 2013 to become the country’s largest party and ex-partner in government, the movement has shrunk gradually into the background to become a strange and somewhat directionless force in Italian politics. Now, with Meloni’s administration well-established, and the opposition floundering, Giuseppe Conte, the M5S leader, is calling for a radical redefinition of the movement’s founding principles. A few weeks ago the ex-PM published a video announcing a ‘Constituent Assembly’ in which, he stated, “the symbol, the name, and even the rules of the M5S could undergo changes”. Despite protestations from the old guard, most prominently the founder Beppe Grillo who has gone as far as to label Conte a “traitor”, the process is entering its second phase this week. What the result will look like, of course, remains, by definition, unclear. Will Grillo or Conte come out with the upper hand in shaping the next phase? Will the process solidify a new partisan focus for M5S, or open the road to a more collaborative agenda with the PD? Will the members of the movement really find themselves shaping the next steps? Or will the whole thing prove a sham? The answer, of course, depends to some extent on the scale and quality of the collective deliberations, and while I am not among the movement’s supporters I’m curious to see if their crowdsourced approach to agenda-setting can unlock some fresh energy in Italy’s stagnant political climate. For updates, and to get involved, check out the M5S digital platform.
A somewhat bizarre and frankly disgusting story has been doing the rounds this week about the small town of Monfalcone, on the outskirts of Trieste. Earlier this year the far-right mayor Anna Maria Cisint introduced a new public order bill to ban the sport of cricket anywhere in the community boundaries. Her reasoning was, on paper, that there was “no space or money for a real pitch, and that the balls posed a danger to residents.” The reality, of course, was that Cisint was evoking a flimsy pseudo-problem to justify an openly racist policy. Monfalcone is a diverse community, home to a large number of Bangladeshi Muslims that number around 1/3 of the population. Many of these migrants are particularly passionate about cricket; their home nation’s national sport. By targeting this benign pastime, using such flimsy logic, Cisint was, as she has admitted elsewhere, embarking on a nationalist crusade against this community. “Our history is being erased…”, she said to a press conference recently, “it’s like it doesn’t matter anymore. Everything is changing for the worse.” Cisint was elected to the European Parliament in June and has since pledged to combat the “Islamification of Europe”. For now, her office in Monfalcone is currently empty but cricket is still — sadly — forbidden. To find out more about this story, check out this report in The Economist which pulls no punches, labelling the policy “politically opportunistic xenophobia.” I 100% agree.
I’ve got to admit: I’m not a big fan of Conde Naste Traveller. Back in the early 00s, sure, it was the go-to place for high quality reporting and news from the sector, offering reliable tips on where to visit, eat and stay. Over the past few years, however, its output has degraded noticeably into glossy high-res churnalism; a listicle factory with less and less actual insight from on-the-ground journalists. This week I did encounter one exception in the form of a relatively good piece by Laura Sanders which, despite it's vomit inducing and tautological title (“The Italian Lakes to Add to Your Must-Visit Bucket List”), actually offers some sound travel advice. Most readers will, I’m sure, be familiar with Lake Como and Lake Garda; two major destinations that certainly merit a visit. Here, however, Sanders draws attention to a few lesser known spots, namely Lakes Caldonazzo and Levico, Lake Ledro, Lake Molveno and Lake Tenno. I myself have visited precisely zero of these destinations, and I found my wanderlust pleasantly ignited by Sanders’s succinct evocations of place. If you’re looking to take an autumn break somewhere in the forests and hills of Northern Italy you’ll definitely find some inspiration within — so here’s the link.
Arts and Culture: Youth Decides
The SS25 Milan Fashion Week kicked-off earlier this week, showcasing the best looks for next year’s warm season. Top of the bill this edition was the Fendi centenary collection which launched to critical acclaim on Tuesday with a series of elegant, art deco-inspired designs featuring plenty of dropped waists, and hemline fringing. Fiorucci also grabbed headlines for a playful and slightly trashy surrealist-inspired show, with models donning roughed-up cricket whites and one woman literally just wrapped in a duvet. As ever, the most exciting brands to keep an eye on are the young ones: Sunnei, by Simone Rizzo and Loris Messina, is making a buzz with its youth-focused, oversized casual wear, Rambaldi has pioneered some interesting gender-bending use of crochet, and Rave Review is innovating with punkish Scandinavian-inspired upcycled aesthetics. Laura Rysman has written a fascinating little feature in the New York Times about the challenges that new designers face in breaking through in Milan’s infamously ossified fashion world, so do give that a read if you’re interested in such things. For a breezier overview of some the looks, check out this euronews video report below.
Pushkin Press is now 25 years old — and the small casa editrice has only gone from strength to strength over the quarter-decade it’s been in business. Last week the publisher proved its credentials once again by releasing an ENG translation of Maddalena Vaglio Tanet’s 2023 novel Untold Lessons (originally published in ITA as Tornare dal bosco). The plot follows Silvia, an introverted middle school teacher who runs away to live in the forest following the violent death of one of her pupils. We follow Silvia’s own story, as she seeks to escape the trauma by digging herself a new home in a giant pit of moss. Meanwhile, in the town, a search party speculates wildly about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Over the course of the book the two timelines converge to offer a powerful feminist parable about female identity and the brutality of patriarchal society. Sadly, despite being nominated for the Strega Prize, Tanet remains underrated and under-appreciated by Italian audiences. One can only hope this new international release helps win her the audience she deserves. Buy the book straight from the publisher here.
Recipe of the Week: Pesto alla Trapanese
There are hundreds upon hundreds of variations of pesto trapanese out there. The best, by far, however, is Diana Henry’s recipe in her 2002 cookbook Crazy Water Pickled Lemons. Pesto Trapanese differs from your classic genovese pesto in a couple of simple ways. Basil, cheese and garlic make an appearance, just as you’d expect. But down on the west coast of Sicily people often add almonds in place of pine nuts and a good dose of tomato to reduce the quantity, and cost, of the oil. In most trattorias it’s as simple as that. What makes Henry’s version so good, however, is her sneaky addition of a few sundried tomatoes, which really help provide some colour, saltiness and extra depth to the final dish. Apparently, Henry picked-up this tip from the chef at Ristorante da Peppe in Trapani, and I’ve been following these guidelines ever since with generally fantastic results. So thanks, once again, to both Henry and “Peppe” for the genius suggestion. Serve with busiate for the full authentic experience, though any kind of short pasta will do the trick. Here’s the link.
I’m Jamie Mackay, a UK-born, Italy-based writer, working at the interfaces of journalism, criticism, poetry, fiction, philosophy, travelogue and cultural-history. I set up ‘The Week in Italy’ to make a space to share a regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds, to explore politics, current affairs, books, arts and food. If you’re a regular reader, and you enjoy these updates, I hope you’ll consider becoming a supporter for EUR 5.00 per month. I like to think of it as a weekly catch-up chat over an espresso. Alternatively, if you’d like to send a one-off something, you can do so via PayPal using this link. Grazie!