The Leopard

Change for black or the same old leopard?

Much attention has been given to the press about Italy's political tide to the right. Not only was Silvio Berlusconi's coalition sent to power with a landslide, the Center-left's candidate old job - Mayor of Rome - was won by Alemanno who was an activist in the ex-fascist party in Mr. Berlusconi's coalition.

In a parallel to the way Washington Repubblican's media-attacks on Hollywood, the new mayor has alread publicly announced that left wing actors like George Clooney will be much less welcome at Rome's film festival. (He later partially backtracked on the statement, and commentators did point out that the City does not control the festival outright, nominating only one member of the Board)

So Italy is swinging heavily to the right and those of us living her are in for a major period of change.
Or are we?

It is common currency here that Italy is, as the Sicilain novelist Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa put it in "The Leopard", like a Leopard: it may have different spots but it is always a leopard.

(The movie was later brought to the silver screen by Luchino Visconti with Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon - a must see for movie buffs).

In other words, the City of Rome passes from an ex-communist (Veltroni) to an ex-fascist (Alemanno) and no one is running to the hills (yet). Heads are rolling in town hall but that's the old spoils system at work.

Only time will tell if the has changed into anther beast, or just its spots.