Giorgia Meloni

Violent unrest erupted in Milan over the weekend during cost-of-living protests, with masked youths looting stores, setting fires and clashing with police. More than 270 people were detained, 32 formally arrested including 23 minors, and at least 14 security personnel were injured. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held an emergency meeting, condemned the "hooligans," and announced plans to deploy 500 additional soldiers under the "Strade sicure" mission. Disorder also spread to Turin and Bologna, echoing unrest in France, Spain and Albania.

5 reports · 3 sources · Updated Oct 20, 10:45 AM UTC

Italy's parliament approved a controversial electoral reform championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with a vote of 227 to 164. The law moves Italy to a fully proportional system and grants a majority bonus of up to 70 seats in the Chamber and 35 in the Senate to any coalition or party winning over 42% of the vote. Opposition parties accused Meloni of designing the law to entrench her power, calling it a "scam" and a "fraudulent" scheme. The reform also requires coalitions to name their prime ministerial candidate before elections.

6 reports · 4 sources · Updated Oct 8, 02:17 PM UTC

European all-electric vehicle registrations surged 52% year-on-year in August, driven by record-high gasoline prices. Germany saw a 75% increase and French sales more than doubled, with over one in three new cars now having a plug. Geopolitical tensions, including US-Israeli actions disrupting Strait of Hormuz traffic and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, pushed German gasoline to €2.31 per liter. Chinese brands captured a record 12% market share. European automakers Stellantis and Volkswagen face financial strain, with Volkswagen planning 100,000 layoffs.

6 reports · 3 sources · Updated Sep 28, 05:39 AM UTC

The Italian government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni approved a decree law banning the burqa and niqab in schools and imposing a 30% cap on pupils without Italian citizenship or with poor Italian language skills in first-year classes. The hijab is not banned. The decree takes effect immediately but must be ratified by parliament within 60 days. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara described the cap as a linguistic measure to avoid "ghetto classes." Opposition parties accused the government of pandering to the hard-right Futuro Nazionale party ahead of a general election next year.

11 reports · 5 sources · Updated Sep 25, 07:25 AM UTC

The Italian Senate passed a "sustainable nuclear energy" authorization bill on September 23, with 81 votes in favor, 51 against, and 7 abstentions, following approval by the Chamber of Deputies in June. The bill establishes a legal framework for nuclear energy development, including regulations for new reactor construction, decommissioning, and waste management. The government plans to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs) to reduce carbon emissions and energy imports, with Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin stating nuclear generation could begin by 2033-2034. The law requires implementing decrees within 12 months.

5 reports · 5 sources · Updated Sep 24, 02:00 AM UTC