Is this the end for the Five Star Movement?
Plus, football memes and neon-baroque
It’s been a long time coming - several years in fact - but the ‘anti-establishment’ Movimento Cinque Stelle finally looks to be on its last legs. The latest potentially fatal schism is the result of a disagreement between Beppe Grillo, the stand up comedian who co-founded the movement in 2008/9, and Giuseppe Conte, the ex PM who everyone thought had been appointed as the new leader. Conte, apparently, proposed a new statute to re-structure the disorganised members into a more formal political party (while also, crucially, tempering its eurosceptic elements.) Grillo responded somewhat vaguely, by accusing Conte of engaging in “sixteenth century” authoritarian politics, and, ironically, in true Padrino fashion, then threatening to prevent him from ever taking charge. The two are now in the midst of a bitter argument that most Italian journalists have deemed irreconcilable. EU observer has published a useful primer breaking down the factions: “there are the 'pragmatists' who support Conte […] those loyal to Grillo, another set of 'revolutionaries' who favour left-wing populist Alessandro Di Battista, and the 'survivalists' - who rely on foreign minister Luigi Di Maio, and president of the chamber of deputies Roberto Fico.” The real question, of course, is how these different camps will react now, and what the movement’s fragmentation will mean for the electoral landscape as a whole. The next few weeks will be decisive.
Sticking with politics a moment: the Financial Times published an interesting piece about Matteo Salvini this week as part of their “Lunch With…” series. This time their correspondent, Miles Johnson, sat down with the Lega leader in Rome’s Piazza Navona for a seafood meal of EUR 150 a head; not exactly the humblest gesture for a man who generally likes to present himself as hero of the working man. But in a sense, that’s the point. Salvini, like Grillo, like Conte, like most Italian politicians, has now been forced to adopt the persona of a moderate ‘post-neoliberal’ centrist, in order to secure the European funds that will be so vital to the economic recovery in the years ahead. Beyond the overall proclamation that he is now in favour of a “strong EU”, the content of Salvini’s conversation is, actually, rather dull. Coming from a man, though, who just a few years ago was the poster boy for xenophobic right wing “sovereignism”, the transformation is as welcome as it is amusing, disturbing and ultimately superficial.
A quick note on the football. If you’re reading this newsletter the chances are, by now, you’re fully aware of the string of strong performances that have brought Italy to the final of the UEFA European Championship. Sunday is the big day, when the azzurri will show down against England at Wembley to settle the score for good. Most angles have been discussed at length elsewhere. The brilliance of Chiesa’s goals; the camaraderie of the squad; Spinazzola’s injury; the ludicrous diving (though England, might I say, have also taken a few melodramatic tumbles this tournament). For my money, though, one of the highlights so far was the Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini psyching out the Spaniard Jordi Alba before the penalty shootout on Tuesday (see above video). You could - reasonably - argue that this was bad sportsmanship. But that’s by the by. Personally, I just think it’s indicative of Italy’s entire philosophy this tournament. This is a team that knows the cameras are watching and which has - rightly - realised that hype, humour and narrative play almost as important a role in shaping championships like this as the technical skills on the pitch. This is a team that’s playing to be memed, and, winners or losers, they’re sure to go out with a bang this weekend.
Art and culture: Neapolitan bling
On Tuesday, Italy’s culture minister Dario Franceschini was in Naples, in the gardens of the Real Bosco di Capodimonte, to inaugurate the newly restored Chiesa di San Gennaro. This was no ordinary opening. The restoration, which was carried out by the artist and architect Santiago Calatrava, has augmented the traditional baroque stylings with a lick of postmodern neon. The result is striking to say the least. Personally, I think there’s always been something hodgepodge about the baroque, and given the excessive ornamentations of the 17th Century buildings themselves and the extreme dramatic contrasts you see around Naples, it works in a strange kind of way. Franceschini also seemed impressed, in spite of himself. As he put it at the press conference: “For a long time we’ve thought it was impossible to insert contemporary art into our historic heritage here in Italy. Calatrava has given us a beautiful gift, and this experience has opened up a new path.” Public reaction, meanwhile, at least on Facebook, has been more muted. As one commenter put it, in Neapolitan dialect, “it looks like a pub disco dance floor.” I’ll let you be the judge…
Last week the men’s fashion show Pitti Uomo kicked off with its Spring 2022 show in Florence. It’s a fun time to walk around the city and gawp at the outfits; usually heavy on loafers and pastel suits given the season. For better or worse the 2021 offerings seem a little tamer than previous editions, at least in the realm of streetwear. So if you’re looking for some outfit inspiration, for you or a significant other, or just fancy perusing from your computer, I recommend flicking through this Vogue gallery of 46 outfits. Just please, for the love of god, steer clear of those tie-dye bucket hats.
Recipe of the week: parmigiana di melanzane
Aubergine - or eggplant - parmigiana is a fixed place on July menus across southern Italy. This is in a sense, rather perplexing. Parmigiana is a labour intensive dish that requires frying over hot oil plus a good 30 minutes of 220 degree oven work. Impossible, one might imagine, in these temperatures. Even stranger, I think, is the fact people often take this - rather heavy - fare to the beach in plastic Tupperware to eat cold the next day. That said, I’m a fan. Parmigiana, with a simple rocket salad, hits all the comforting notes of a ‘classic’ Italian dish. Rachel Roddy’s version is a good baseline, though I recommend chucking in some chopped smoked scamorza for depth, and a quick egg wash for the aubergines during layering, for added unctuousness. As long as you keep the liquid content under control, i.e. don’t overdo the passata, there’s plenty of scope for improvisation here.
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About Me
My name is Jamie Mackay (@JacMackay) and I’m an author, editor and translator based in Florence. I’ve been writing about Italy for a decade for international media including The Guardian, The Economist, Frieze, and Art Review. I launched ‘The Week in Italy’ to share a more direct and regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds.
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