Italy's always been under the microscope. It's attracted so much criticism you sometimes wonder if it isn't just a tad exaggerated. Bad news sells better than good news. A no-brainer, yet in Italy's case this plays a major role. Britain's soft power, by contrast, has shielded the four nations – London and England in particular – from negative scrutiny. With Brexit this is rapidly changing, of course. Italy would do better to bear this in mind and stick with the EU and the euro and hone its own soft power instead.
The new cabinet may want to act on this and start talking Italy up. No more kissing rosaries in parliament but a clearer vision of Italy's place among the great nations. In this sense, the current government crisis is very welcome.
This is not to undermine the objective issues the country's facing – some are downright, chronic problems – such as Italy-based international crime organizations or tax evasion. But it's also true that these seemingly insurmountable obstacles are not just features of the Italian landscape.
