Maybe a bit old but interesting nonetheless ..

Most interesting.

well done Maurice ,i hadn't seen that one.Tim Parks writes well and more importantly in a balanced manner.I agreed with most of what he wrote..being still very actual.Unlike many other commentators  both Italian or foreign (including many of the comments which followed the article) seem to choose "a chair"(sometimes a pulpit) from which they proceed to "address" the "italian question".From my experience these either tend (almost immediately) to start "explaining Italy" (sometimes from the holy roman empire,those who prefer the renaissance,the risorgimento,or the fascist period.Or those who prefer to insist on their perception of regional differences in order to conclude that italy doesn't (or never existed)Or that the country/people display such peculiar traits that it was/is/always will be unreformable.I have to say( all this with modesty) after having spent most of my life in this country and having met workers,terrorists,politicians (Andreotti,Berlusconi)important business people (Agnelli,Bulgari and others)having always worked here,been a company employee,manager,tax payer,now with my own business,having visited the entire country fronm the alps to islands from cities to remote countryside i personally believe that Italy exists (and perhaps interestingly)believe that will be able to change (not necessarily within the period of this government)but it will change and it will be for the better.Watch this space i think people will be suprised over the next ten years (per lo meno la speranza è l'ultima a morire!)