The New York Review of Books has an article by Tim Parks that is a good, brief description of Italian government and economic systems. Here is a sample:
It is never easy to legislate against vested interests; in Italy it is well nigh impossible: there are simply so many groups whose existence depends on things remaining as they are. To a greater extent than in other countries, individual Italians feel diminished and despondent if those groups are put in jeopardy.Parks' bottom line is that he doesn't see how Italy can change, absent a cataclysmic external threat which the EU is unwilling or unable to impose. If you are at all interested in Italy, this article is for you.
