Clare Speak

Jun 13, 2024 | thelocal.it | Clare Speak

As Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni gave her British counterpart Rishi Sunak a particularly warm welcome at the G7 this week, what does their closeness mean for political relations between the two countries? The British and Italian prime ministers get on famously well - and they never miss an opportunity to show it.

Jun 11, 2024 | thelocal.it | Clare Speak

As Meloni’s party took almost 29 percent of the Italian vote, headlines early this week have focused on the success of the far right in the European parliamentary elections and Meloni’s growing political clout both at home and in the EU. It was a remarkable result, considering that in European Parliament elections in 2019 her post-fascist Brothers of Italy (FdI) party secured just six percent of the vote.

Jun 10, 2024 | thelocal.it | Clare Speak

Giorgia Meloni's party triumphed as expected, but there were surprises for some in the EU election, which saw her hard-right coalition partners take a major hit.

Jun 7, 2024 | thelocal.it | Clare Speak

In this week's Inside Italy newsletter, we look at whether Italy is destined to see anti-tourism protests like those in Spain, and ask what the European Union has ever done for Italians. Boom or bustAfter Italy received a record number of tourists in 2023, even more people are expected to visit this year as the post-Covid tourism boom continues: 216 million, in fact.

Jun 6, 2024 | thelocal.it | Clare Speak

There's no law stopping foreigners from getting a mortgage with an Italian bank, however, there's a lot you need to know about the process. The good news is that getting a mortgage as a foreigner in Italy is generally possible. But if you're a foreign national in Italy, you can expect to be asked for more paperwork than an Italian or EU citizen might be, and for the application process to take considerably longer.