Italian politics reaching new level of corruption

While the International Press is rightly blaming the Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy for a lavish consumption of alcohol in time of austerity.

Sept. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his advisers often consume more than 1,000 euros ($1,286) of alcoholic drinks when they fly on the government’s official jet, Interviu magazine reported in its Sept. 24 issue.

For Italians though, to waste 1000 euro on beer is merely a drop in the ocean of waste the Italian government is accostumed to.
Latest case, Italy's Ambassador to London, Giorgio Maria Economides decided to replace a simple Lancia with license plate "ITA 1" with a more artistic Maserati (shown below in front of the Embassy) at the bargain price of $200.000:




Way to go Ambassador in representing a broke country with class and style!

We must admit though that Italian politicians at home are far classier than our Ambassador in London.
Today Mr. Fiorito, the Regional Leader of the PDL (Berlusconi's party) has been arrested in Rome for embezzlement, he ransacked 1.3 million euro from the Region of Lazio for his many private pleasures, he was not alone 70+ more councillors did the same with public money.

Last week the Governor of Lazio, Polverini resigned after it was found that for more than 2 years the entire council of the Region of Lazio was hell-bent on spending public money like if there was no tomorrow.
The estimate is that in 2 years they spent over 30 million euro.
Some of the most interesting expenses are the following:

14000 euro in a wineshop
16000 euro to pay private electricity bills in arrears

thousands more paid for unspecified "collaboration services" to the fiancee of Mr. Fiorito
5000 euro dinners 
Toga Parties paid with public money: photos here
Hookers
Trips for councillors and lovers/hookers to exotic locations
Houses and Villas
Jeeps bought on the occasion of a rare snow storm in Rome

and much much more...

This is not an isolate case many more regions in Italy are facing the same scrutiny and new stories are surfacing on the Italian press each week.

Last week the Region of Piedmont has been searched by investigators after the discovery that all the regional councillors have requested refunds for travels and activities even during the summer stop of the regional Council.
The best part is that regions do not check if true what declared, it was enough for a councillor to say he travelled 5000 miles in one month to obtain refunds amounting to tens of thousands of euros per month.
For those interested in reading the full details here a link to published data

Although, let us not fool ourselves, this is NOT an attempt to clean up the house, this is action pointing to strike political forces and push them to accept another Monti term or at least to be servile when it comes to vote and accept the Prime Minister diktats.

Italy is between a rock and a hard place, Italian politics is rotten, diseased and inept at ruling the country, hell-bent as it is in ransacking public money for their private interests. They have no credibility left but they are still useful to Monti being discreditable and therefore prone to manipulation.
On the other side, an un-elected prime minister is ruling the country with no public consent and following EU diktats not ratified by the people.
Italians are being told that politicians are scum and they are unable to rule therefore an enlightened technician has to take control.

What if next elections will bring to another rotten parliament or a fragmented one unable to form a government?
Are we going to ask again Monti to rule the country because our politicians are unable to do it?
Are we going to suspend again the right of the people to decide of their future?
Would this still be a democracy?

Valletta Square

St. James Cavalier Center for Creativity

Housed in a 16th Century fort, the centre is home to a small theatre-in-the-round, an art house, cinema, a chamber music room and gallerias.

A labyrinth of art gallerias and multimedia installations stretching into the ancient walls and towers of the fort, carefully placed in a unique architecture.

The centre has welcomed both local and foreign artists, writers, singers and actors, dancers, musicians as well as thinkers, scientists and other creators.Few examples of the original interior design are shown below.

 The Entrance

 

 Modern Art Wing

 

The Observatory

 

 

Rainbow on Valletta Bay

Spain Misery Index

Below the last Misery Index, defined as the combination of inflation and unemployment.

Following this week announcement of a surge in Spanish inflation which soared from 2.7% to 3.5%, it is clear that the Misery in Spain has never been higher.


... which for some context - is double the misery of the average European or Italian and triple that of an American...



Charts: Bloomberg

Valletta Marina

Bunga is Back!

Our Bunga buddy is back, warming up for the soon coming Italian circus of dancers, pimps, crooks and wise guys (i.e. Italian elections in May); here he is again blessing us with his wisdom:

• *BERLUSCONI SAYS EURO A `SCAM' WITHOUT CENTRAL BANK BACKING IT
• *BERLUSCONI SAYS GERMANY LEAVING EURO WOULDN'T BE A TRAGEDY
• *BERLUSCONI: BAILOUT CONDITIONS WOULD LEAD ECONOMY TO COLLAPSE
• *BERLUSCONI SAYS ITALY RISKS HEADING TOWARD 'ENDLESS CRISIS'

It appears he has a new plan (Allow Germany to leave) and start the printing press to inflate the country out in thin air while sedating the population with horny shows and lame soap operas.
Vote Bunga!

Palazzo Falson

Palazzo Falson was originally a one-storey high courtyard house that was built around the first half of 13th century on the remains of an even earlier structure known as La Rocca.  This area has also been associated with a synagogue and there is a strong verbal tradition which holds that the refectory and kitchen area of the house were part of the synagogue structure where the Mdina jewish community worshipped.
Palazzo Falson was inhabited by the de Falsone family and today is a unique palace-museum preserving an extensive collection of art. There are a number of 17th century paintings in this collection, including one by Mattia Preti, and others attributed to David Teniers the Younger, Nicolas Poussin and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
The silver collection includes more than 800 items, and includes some noteworthy and significant pieces of Maltese, Continental and British silver.
An extensive collection of arms is on display in the Armoury, the walls of which are hung with an interesting array of swords, polearms, pistols and guns.
The library at the Palazzo boasts over 4,500 books consisting mainly of historical titles and renowned literary works in various languages.  Some highly valuable manuscripts can also be found in this collection.
More than 80 Oriental rugs make up this collection, hailing from different areas such as Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, most of which are displayed in the Carpet Gallery.

For more info: http://www.palazzofalson.com/palazzofalson/home.aspx     





The Courtyard

The Artist's Studio
























The Library
























The Kitchen

























The Old Arch

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