Ignazio Marino
Reuters, 28/10 16:19 CET
By Gavin Jones
ROME (Reuters) – The
resignation of Rome’s mayor over allegations he fiddled his dining
expenses may at first sight suggest Italy is finally getting tough on
corruption. In reality, his troubles show just how resistant to change
the country is.
On the face of it, it is hard to defend Mayor Ignazio
Marino. His approval ratings have shrivelled and many Romans complain
public services such as rubbish collection, road maintenance and
transport have never been worse.
Despite winning election by a crushing margin 2-1/2 years
ago, the 60-year-old former liver surgeon from the northern city of
Genoa never clicked with the capital’s residents.
An outsider with poor communication skills, the
centre-left mayor soon seemed so alien to the city’s life and politics
that they nicknamed him “The Martian”. Perhaps worst of all, he even
upset the pope.
Yet even his harshest critics acknowledge that Marino – a
member of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Democratic Party (PD) – did
not cause Rome’s problems, and that public services had been crumbling
for years before he was elected in 2013.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Euronews
No comments:
Post a Comment