Our cineasts-in-residence have done it again. ʀᴏᴇʟᴀɴᴅ scʜᴏʟᴛᴀʟʙᴇrs & Andrii “Ford” Pichyenko’s doc “African renaissance” on our leadership program is selected for the Montecatini film festival.
Press conf tmrw with Tuscan authorities. Congrats!
Watch the doc:
youtu.be/80uqdiaUOE8

30 yrs ago, Draghi’s mentor Ciampi transitioned Italy from the 1st republic of political apparatchiks to the 2nd, dominated by populists.
Perhaps Draghi will transition Italy towards a 3rd republic, where populism comes to term with technocratic governance—and viceversa.

30 yrs ago, Draghi’s mentor Ciampi transitioned Italy from the 1st republic of political apparatchiks to the 2nd, dominated by populists.
Perhaps Draghi will transition Italy towards a 3rd republic, where populism comes to term with technocratic governance—and viceversa.

Our cineasts-in-residence have done it again. ʀᴏᴇʟᴀɴᴅ scʜᴏʟᴛᴀʟʙᴇrs & Andrii “Ford” Pichyenko’s doc “African renaissance” on our leadership program is selected for the Montecatini film festival.
Press conf tmrw with Tuscan authorities. Congrats!
Watch the doc:
youtu.be/80uqdiaUOE8

On my regular visit to Kosovo, I met with PM Albin Kurti to continue our very useful discussions on decisive progress in the normalisation of relations with Serbia, the approaching 31 October deadline on licence plates re-registration and latest developments on energy.

1) Let's take a tour of the spectacular sets of HBO's 'Rome' (2005-2007) at Cinecittà Studios..

Or just plain awkward. Watched this a few times now. Saddam’s purge was deliberate and a show of force. Removing a frail 79 yo like this is embarrassing, esp if he was sick. Then again, consistent with how they manhandle COVID patients.

Warmly recommend this new doc out in theatres on how a Roman cineast (and his schoolmate composer Morricone) reinvented Hollywood and America with 7 movies from ‘good, bad and the ugly’ to ‘once upon a time in America’. Without speaking a word of English. tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/cin…

Gas imports from Russia to Italy down to 0 this week.
Can’t think of a more suitable farewell gift from Draghi.

I didn’t know this and it should be far more widespread knowledge. I will go next week.

Inviting Brussels to read the room:
“The EU insists that these loans are on such favourable terms that they are grant-like. Nonetheless, the small print says they need to be repaid.”

economist.com/leaders/2022/1… from The Economist economist.com/leaders/2022/1…

One day in the life of Italy

Prescient also what David Rothkopf says about domino effect on other Western democracies.
Many people in “swing” European nations like Italy are only waiting a GOP victory in November to flip on Ukraine.

Those badges…

Most new Italian ministers will be unknown to foreigners. But the new govt has given a strong linguistic connotation to 7 key ministries.
Political lexicon has always been an identity marker of the Italian right. Below my translations.

Account is called “terrible maps” for a reason. But also thought-provoking on, top of my head: self-perceptions, legacies, limitations, biases, norms.