The Nuclear Option
Plus, an English-Italian legend and new fiction from Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
International commentators have gotten into a bad habit of underestimating Giorgia Meloni. Reading most papers, you’d get the idea that Italy’s one-time fascist PM has transformed into a bland conservative, content with making minor reforms more or less in line with the EU status quo. Well, value judgement aside, another story broke this week which lays bare how ambitious – and proactive — the current administration really is. On Monday Italy’s energy security minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin announced that the government is planning a bill to reintroduce nuclear power across the country. This is a huge deal. In 1987, following the Chernobyl disaster, Italians voted in their millions in a referendum to close the country’s reactors. Now that decision might be undone. Pichetto Fratin told the FT that the newest technology has “different levels of safety” and that he is confident Italians’ historic “aversion” will be overcome when the country understands the “benefits [for] families and businesses.” Yes, there’s certainly some data to back-up that claim. Though personally I’m more interested in the broader context. For example: I can’t help wondering to what extent such a move (back) towards nuclear power might provide a smokescreen for the government to spend less on solar and hydroelectric renewables? I’m also curious about the ‘real’ motivation. Is this move really about the ‘best’ energy policy, or is it more about sovereignist protectionism and outflanking China’s dominance in the renewable energy market? Finally, and most important of all, the question remains as to what role the public will have in the final decision. Will we get a referendum as per three decades ago? Or will this transformation be enacted top-town directly by the state? I’ll be reporting more on these issues as the story unfolds, so watch this space.
Regular readers will be aware that I’ve long been obsessed with the 1970s in Italy, and specifically the mobilizations of the 1977 autonomisti who pioneered a radical form of “anti-work politics” as a form of protest against the alienating doctrines of state communism and capitalism alike. Well, a few weeks ago, the authors Jamila Squire and Seth Wheeler published a new anthology about that fascinating era called A Thousand Little Machines: a/traverso and the Movement of 77. I haven’t read the book yet, but e-flux recently published the intro, which sets out the background of how the duo convinced Franco Bifo Berardi — the author and philosopher — to give them access to a whole archive of posters, magazines, video recordings, costumes created by his fellow activists during the apex of the ‘years of lead.’ This is pretty niche stuff, I know. But if you’re looking for a reminder of just how exciting, creative and innovative the Italian left once was, this is a great and inspiring collection of texts that speak directly to our present moment. Find out more about the background over at e-flux and, if you’re interested, order the full book directly from Agit Press.
Now for something a little different: VICE Munchies recently published a short 6-minute documentary about ‘E Pellicci’ a small Italian bar in London’s East End which has been open since 1900. After 125 years of business the vibe is still unapologetically mid-20th Century. The family’s nonna is at the head of the kitchen prepping up casalinga specialities like meatballs, parmigiana and cannelloni alongside traditional English fry-ups, bacon butties and other treats. The real star of the show, however, is Nevio Pellicci, the grandson, and current custodian, who has been running the business for over a decade now. His enthusiasm, irony, banter with clients and general approach to life — which he articulates in a curious mix of cockney and Italian — are genuinely hilarious and something to behold. All in all, this is a heartwarming testimony to generations of Italian integration in England and, as the producers put it, “an eyebrow-raising lesson in the art of staying alive when all around you eateries are going to the wall.” Check out the full documentary via the YouTube link below.
Arts and culture: Polyphonies
2024 has been a paltry year as far as translated literature goes, so thanks to Laura, a cherished reader, for bringing this one to my attention. Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, the Senaglese author of The Most Secret Memory of Men has got a new one out this summer called The Silence of the Choir and it sounds fascinating. First published in French in 2017, this “symphonic” novel follows the lives of 72 young African men who, as the book opens, have recently arrived into the small Sicilian town of Altino after a long journey across the desert and sea. The narrative follows each of the “ragazzi”, as they struggle to start new lives and integrate into one of Italy’s poorest regions. Parallel to all this the reader also encounters the perspectives of the long-term residents – priests, housewives, bakers, farmers – as they struggle to communicate with the new arrivals, confronting, overcoming and, sadly, doubling down on long-held prejudices. I’ve reported on several real-life versions of this story, so I’m looking forward to seeing how Sarr uses fiction, and literary space, to shine light on the inner-lives of people that are so often dehumanized and depersonalized by media discourse. Buy the book directly from the publisher here.
You may have seen that the first trailer for Gladiator II dropped this week and the response has been, well, pretty mixed to say the least. Ridley Scott’s epic ancient Roman drama, a sequel to the 2000 classic, is due to hit screens in November with Irish heartthrob Paul Mescal in the starring role. The trailer itself is pretty.. meh. Yes, Mescal looks the part in his gladiatorial garb, and the snippets of the action scenes seem promising. Nevertheless, something definitely feels “off” here. The internet has been particularly unkind. As I write this, the trailer has been viewed 15 million times with 150,000 likes and over 360,000 dislikes (!) The reasons are multiple: the sets do seem overly “shiny” and the special effects “crude.” More immediately, people seem to be complaining about the use of Jay Z’s “No Church in the Wild” in the soundtrack and the apparent mis-casting of Denzel Washington as Emperor Macrinus. Sadly, there’s an unambiguously racist overtone to many of these criticisms, and I for one will be waiting until the release before casting any judgement on the quality of the film. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
Recipe of the week: Ponza’s Famous Mussel Pasta
Ponza seems to be having a bit of a moment. I first heard about this small island off the coast of Lazio a few years ago when a friend from Rome extolled the place’s beauty at some drunken length during a dinner party. Now, years on, this off-the-radar destination is getting some press (for better or worse). Katie Parla, the food writer, and one of few Anglo-Americans I trust to accurately communicate authentic Italian cuisine, is a particular champion of the island. A while ago she published a recipe for ‘Ponza’s Famous Mussel Pasta’; a dish that people apparently go to great lengths to sample during their summer vacanze. While I’m generally suspicious of this kind of journalistic hype, it does sound delicious. The recipe is as simple as can be: a classic mix of molluscs, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, wine and oil, all tossed through pasta. With temperatures approaching 40 degrees here in Florence I’ll be heading to the fishmonger at the weekend to pick up some mussels in the hope of transporting myself (in my culinary imagination at least) to a Mediterranean beachfront trattoria. Check out the full recipe over at Saveur magazine.
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!