The rise and rise of Georgia Meloni
Plus, vending machine pizza and a translated story
As a general rule I try not to pay too much attention to opinion polls. Yes, I know they’re more accurate than they used to be, but it still seems to me that everything can change at light-speed in politics; that mapping collective emotional life is a less scientific process than some profess. Still, I have to admit one such survey blew me away this week. According to the latest data by AGI/YouTrend, the far right party Fratelli D’Italia (FdI) is now polling at 18.5% [Italian source]. Anyone who follows this stuff closely will know this is serious. FdI, who are led by Georgia Meloni, are a conservative nationalist force vocally opposed to abortion, LGBTQ rights and migration. What’s particularly alarming is how fast they’re growing. In 2018 the party won just 4% of the vote and were considered fringe lunatics. Now they are less than 1% behind the mainstream centre left Democratic Party (see the chart below). The reason for this, in the context of 2021, is fairly straightforward. All the major parties are currently propping up Draghi as PM, despite the fact that he was not elected into office. FdI are, for this reason, the ONLY real opposition. Their popularity may be a sign of superficial discontent, but it’s dangerous nonetheless. Certainly, it’s a good reminder that while the ruling technocrats continue to justify their roles as safeguarders of ‘stability’, it’s they themselves that are creating the conditions for future chaos.
On a cheerier note, there is some cause for optimism regarding Covid-19 this week. Italy is moving in the right direction on case rates, vaccinations and mortality rates. The RT is now at 0.2, the lowest level since October, serious infections are down by 99% since the inoculations began and there are no longer any red zones in the country. Over the weekend I actually attended a public event for first time this year, a theatrical performance in an outdoor venue with 500 people. Honestly, it felt like a red letter day. That’s not to say there haven’t been some hiccups. On 4 May Draghi sounded an optimistic note, proclaiming: “Italy is ready to welcome back the world. It’s time to book your holiday!" Since then however, he’s provided no concrete info about test requirements, quarantines, vaccine cards and so on. The Local Italy has published a good summary of the stress this is causing for all those who work in tourism and hospitality (though, frankly, the number of leisure travellers throwing a strop of the kind “Oh well, I’ll give up on Italy and go to Greece” seems rather tone deaf given the gravity of the situation we’ve all been through.) Anyway, be that as it may, new guidelines are due tomorrow afternoon I’m told, so if you’re planning on visiting from the U.S. or Europe anytime soon clarity should be just around the corner…
Regular readers will know I’m generally a fan of stories that involve Italians getting oversensitive about food. Well this week, the news gods churned out another gem. If you haven’t heard: Rome is now home to its first automatic pizza making machine. This isn’t just your usual microwave vendor; “Mr. Go” apparently uses 72 hr fermented dough which it then churns around in front of your very eyes, and the toppings are made with locally sourced artisanal ingredients to boot! Now. I’ve seen a lot of strange Italian ‘snack points’ in my time: from 24hr balsamic vinegar dispensers, to roadside machines selling powdered seafood risotto. Mr.Go, though, is on a whole ‘nother level. So far reaction has been mixed. A woman named Alexandra confessed to the Guardian that she finds it a “bit sad to see pizza coming out of a machine”; while ‘Ludovica’ insisted she “would never eat pizza” that was not handmade. More generally the jury actually seems to be out for now. The Google reviews currently stand at 3.3, though the comments, as you can imagine, are something to behold indeed. You’ll find Mr.Go on Rome’s Via Catania, 2. So give if a try if you happen to live nearby and, please, let me know what you think!
Arts and culture: Apart from the Colours
Time for some more Italy-related TV news I think.This week Sky Arts will premiere a new series called Domina which is set in ancient Rome. The story is, in essence, a dramatised biopic about Livia, arguably the most powerful and influential woman of the early Empire. Livia has a bit of a reputation among historians for being a ruthless, bloodthirsty killer, having, apparently, been directly involved in ordering numerous murders to secure her son Tiberius’s place on the imperial throne. If this piece on the BBC is anything to go by, though, the new series will actually offer a defence of her conduct, or at least try to situate her behaviour in the political climate of the age. Is this a case of “woke-liberal revisionism” at its worst? Or is it a valid historical retort to centuries of unfair - and possibly misogynistic - gossiping? I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to finding out. You can check the first episode on Sky Atlantic and on selected streaming services starting tomorrow.
Towards the end of last year I worked for a couple of months on a translation of a short story collection by the Roman author Palmira De Angelis. The book A parte i colori, was published in 2018 by the small indie publisher Ensemble, and it has since won a few prizes here in Italy. I’m pleased to say that one of the English language stories has just been published over at the The Chicago Review. ‘Colors’ is a tale about disability, prejudice, and, most of all, love. It also serves as a philosophical meditation about what it really means to see things, and what it means to be in the world. I think it’s a powerful introduction to Palmira’s work, and I’m really pleased to finally be able to unveil her unique voice in a way that’s hopefully accessible for international readers. You can read the full text here if you’re interested. There are several - indeed 14 - more of these in the pipeline, so watch this space…
Recipe of the week: Pan Bagnat
I first encountered this rather decadent sandwich during a brief stay in the small town of Alghero in north western Sardinia. There’s a studenty place on the edge of the medieval walls there called ‘Bar Focacceria Milese’ which, from a glance, seems completely inconspicuous. The food, though, really is impeccable. The star of the show, and house speciality, is a crunchy, crispy bread that’s filled with tuna, egg, olives, lettuce, anchovies, peppers and a few other treats. It is, essentially, a Nicoise salad in a ‘carbier’ form; a salty, briny, mix of Spanish, French and Italian flavours, and all for the bargain price of €2.50. Yum. You can absolutely improvise here, but I recommend using a decent ‘Pan Bagnat’ as a guide. Andy Baraghani’s recipe at Bon Appétit looks pretty close to the Sardinian incarnation to me (though if you eat meat I’d recommend following the lead of Bar Focacceria Milese and adding some pancetta in there. It does take the flavour to another level.)
That’s it for this week - as ever I do hope you enjoyed this instalment. If you haven’t already, please do follow the ‘Week in Italy’ Facebook page, or my twitter, for a few extra links and easy-access to the substack archive. If this email was forwarded to you, or you’re accessing on the web and would like to receive further updates, you can subscribe using this link below. Thanks!
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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