Italy’s new government faced the first real test of its immigration policy this week – and the results were as ugly as you might expect. On Saturday evening Humanity 1, a German-owned NGO boat, entered the water near Sicily with 179 rescued-people on board. Initially, authorities permitted the vessel to dock in the island port of Catania. What happened next, however, was shameful. Rather than allowing all passengers to disembark, the local coastguard were ordered to “select” those to be allowed to safety. Children and vulnerable people were first permitted to leave the vessel while a team of doctors, flanked by cops, effectively treated the others as prisoners. This is, of course, a flagrant violation of international law, which states that all refugees must be allowed a safe port. Eventually, following vocal opposition from Italian President Mattarella, the government conceded, though not without consequences for other rescue boats. The Norwegian Geo Barents, for example, was forced to wait three days with 215 refugees on board before docking, and the same was true of German Rise Above, which was holding 97 passengers for a similar period. The Ocean Viking, which is managed by SOS Mediterranee, instead decided to head to France where the boat was free to unload over 200 individuals to a more accommodating administration which, immediately after the reception, forcefully stated: “the Italian government has ignored the rights of the sea and the spirit of European solidarity. We expect far more from a county that, at this very moment, is the main beneficiary of EU recovery grants.” For the latest developments on this story, and for the bigger picture on escalating international tensions between France and Italy, see Alys Davies’s report for the BBC here.
Another policy that’s been causing controversy this past week concerns public finances, and specifically the much-mooted 15% percent ‘flat tax.’ Now, few would deny tax reform is an urgent priority in Italy. Meloni, rightly, states that high rates for poor freelancers is a major cause of poverty in the country right now and her apparent desire to address that is, in principle, welcome. The problem is, however, that the current proposal is both unjust and impracticable. First, there’s the fact that Italy has no minimum wage, and no minimum tax threshold. A flat tax, in itself, does nothing to help the 7.5% of the population which is facing conditions of absolute poverty. While the government insists the measure will reduce fiscal evasion, and as such fund more welfare for those most in need, this is, frankly, nonsense. Not only is the new administration already cutting jobseeker’s allowance (reddito di cittadinanza), one of their first economic priorities, ahead of the flat tax, is to increase cash payment limits to EUR 10,000, on the request of Silvio Berlusconi of all people; which is hardly going to benefit state coffers! Most economists are actually predicting the move will drain state resources precisely when (targeted) public spending is most needed. Which takes us to the most important - moral - point. In an intensely unequal society, where a small minority are free to live on savings, interest and capital [see this graph] tax is essentially a correction mechanism to benefit all those who depend on work to survive. Progressive taxing, if I may be polemical for a moment, is a bare minimum if capitalism is to even pretend to be moral. A flat tax, on the contrary, is a superficial solution, designed to exploit the anxieties of a collapsing middle class, in exchange for a few thousand votes which will ultimately benefit the top 1%. It’s a cheap political move that, far from resolving a serious problem, will almost certainly leave the country more economically and morally bankrupt than it is already.
Now for some genuinely epochal news. Earlier this week the Ministry of Culture revealed the results of an archaeological excavation that took place between summer 2019 and autumn 2022 in the small town of San Casciano dei Bagni in Tuscany. The findings are, frankly, remarkable. Over the past three years Jacopo Tabolli an archaeologist from the Università per Stranieri di Siena has, together with his team, unearthed 24 bronze Roman-Etruscan statues dating between the 2 Century BC and the 1 Century AD which - thanks to the unique atmospheric muddy conditions - are exceptionally well-preserved. Among the discoveries are figures of Hygeia, the goddess of health, Apollo, the sun god, and various icons of “matrons, children and emperors” to quote the official MiBAC press release. These artefacts are, in Tabolli’s words, the “most important finds since the Riace Bronzes,” and many experts in the field are suggesting they will fundamentally alter our collective understanding of craftsmanship in ancient Etruria. Click here for more images, to really get a sense of why people are so excited.
Arts and culture: the lying life of adults
The first trailer for the new Netflix Elena Ferrante adaptation dropped this week and I have to say it looks promising. The Lying Life of Adults, an allegory about womanhood, class politics and violence in South Italy told through the eyes of a young teenage girl, is a raw, half-baked, angry, profound and unashamedly honest book. Much like The Neapolitan Novels, it’s a frustrating, uneven, but sincere read which more than makes up for its occasional stylistic shortcomings thanks to its emotionally honest and, frankly, courageously candid prose. This TV adaptation is a high budget affair. The period costumes, communist rallies, glitzy parties, hi-def drone city shots are all much flashier (if more anonymous) than the recent RAI adaptations. Whatever your thoughts on Ferrante, this show is one to keep on your radar. The series isn’t actually out until January, but the teaser below offers a powerful taste of what’s in store — so enjoy.
Indie-rock-pop-hip-hop duo Coma_Cose have got a new album out which is worth a listen if you’re into this kind of thing. ‘Un meraviglioso mondo di salvarsi’ follows on pretty much where 2021’s Nostralgia left off. The core sound, rhythm section and beats adhere to the tried and tested mix of alt-rock 90s vibes; think the Pixies/ the Eels meet Frankie Hi-NRG, 99 Posse and you’ll have something of an idea. In a sense this is standard fare: hooky, with some banging pop choruses that are quite enjoyable. That said, on a first listen, I have to admit this release represents a slight dip in quality compared with older EPs. Fausto and California are a great front-person duo, and their chemistry and on-stage presence genuinely stands-out in the often generic world of Italian pop. Which makes it all the more sad that the producers – Mamakass – have decided to cover up the singers’ vocals behind such heavy Max-Pezzali-esque levels of autotune and naff 80s synths this time around [see 0:58 below]. Now, to be clear, I’ve got nothing against either of these recording techniques. I just don’t think the sounds works at all for Come_Cose. So that’s three stars from me I’m afraid. But do listen here on Spotify to judge for yourself.
Recipe of the week: Pork loin with balsamic vinegar and red wine
It’s not often I get round to roasting pork. Frankly it’s a dish I find difficult to pull off. Loins and fillets are too easy to dry out, too difficult to get flavour through for my taste. Too often, the result is banal, heavy, dull, grey. A waste of meat, waste of an animal. Cooked well, by an expert, however, the result can be exquisite. Now, I’m by no means an expert but I did achieve a pretty good result this week following Mimi Thorisson’s instructions for a joint roasted with red wine and balsamic vinegar. The pork I purchased was 750g so I had to adapt the instructions a little, but the basic principles, the tricks and ratios, worked very well indeed. Browned in the pan, coloured by the liquids, infused by copious amounts of garlic… this was pretty forgiving as far as these things go. I cooked the meat for 45 minutes on 180C and left it to rest for 20 minutes before serving with some sautéed greens. One could, at a stretch, argue the seasoning was a little over-perfumed, but it still hit the spot. Try it - if you eat pork - for a satisfyingly, smoky weekend dinner. Here’s the link.
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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