SBS Italian news, with a slower pace. This is Slow Italian, Fast Learning, the very best of the week’s news, read at a slower pace, with Italian and English text available.
Italian
L'Italia si trova ad affrontare un nuovo periodo di burrasca politica, dopo che gli sforzi di formare un governo da parte dei due partiti vincitori alle elezioni sono risultati vani.
Il Presidente della Repubblica ha chiesto ad un ex-economista del Fondo Monetario Internazionale di formare un governo che nessuno si aspetta possa durare a lungo.
L'Italia è rimasta priva di un governo dalle scorse elezioni di marzo, senza che alcun partito o alleanza politica fosse in grado di formare una maggioranza.
I partiti populisti Movimento 5 Stelle e Lega hanno tentato di unire le loro forze per formare un governo, ma il Presidente Italiano Sergio Mattarella ha posto il veto alla loro scelta sul ministro dell'economia, per via delle sue posizioni euro-scettiche.
L'ex economista del FMI Carlo Cottarelli è stato incaricato di formare un governo tecnico, nel quale i responsabili verranno selezionati in base alle loro conoscenze nelle loro aree specifiche, fino alle prossime elezioni.
In questo clima di incertezze, Cottarelli ha dichiarato che non c'è tempo da perdere.
(Italian, then trans:) "I have accepted the task to form a government as the President has asked. As an Italian I am very honoured by this task and I will do my best. The President has asked me to come to parliament with a program to accompany the country to new elections. I expect to present the list of ministers to the President very quickly ..."
Se Cottarelli non fosse in grado di presentare al parlamento un programma, con una finanziaria che sia in grado di passare il voto, il suo governo si dimetterà, in vista delle elezioni a breve.
La mossa di nominare Cottarelli ha fatto infuriare il parlamentare del 5 Stelle Manlio Di Stefano, che ha dichiarato alla BBC che il Movimento e la Lega rifiuteranno la sua nomina in parlamento.
"The worst part of the situation is that we were able to create a government, we had the numbers, we still have the numbers in the chambers. And we were refused simply because the political opinion of our candidate on the economy was not on the same direction as the President wants. And it is something absolutely anti-democratic."
Il Movimento 5 Stelle ha invitato il parlamento italiano a procedere con l'impeachment del presidente, incoraggiando inoltre proteste pacifiche e manifestazioni per questo sabato, 2 giugno.
Alcuni critici sostengono che le elezioni anticipate sono esattamente quello che i due partiti populisti vogliono, con la possibilità di aumentare il proprio sostegno elettorale.
A Roma intanto, la gente è divisa sugli ultimi sviluppi politici.
("Italian then translated:) "I voted for the Northern League and I feel a little betrayed because I had hopes in everything that had been said and now I am dumbfounded." // "I find it amazing that more than 80 days have passed since the election and a government still has not been formed. There is certainly a problem with our way of voting and our majority system. But I think above all that misinformation reigns in Italy. And we forget several founding elements, for example that the President of the Republic exercised his powers in full respect of the constitution."
Cottarelli ha promesso che il suo governo si prenderà carico di quello che ha chiamato il ruolo "essenziale" dell'Italia all'interno dell'Unione Europea e nell'eurozona.
Ma i mercati rimangono nervosi, con la prospettiva della crescita di un sentimento anti-europeista in Italia.
Secondo diversi esperti, l'economia italiana è grande abbastanza da sconvolgere l'Eurozona in caso di una crisi del debito.
English
Italy is facing fresh political turmoil after efforts by the country's two populist parties to form government collapsed.
The Italian president has asked an ex-IMF economist to form government instead, but that's not expected to last long.
Italy has been without a government since elections in March, with no political group able to form a majority.
The populist Five Star Movement and the League attempted to join forces and form government, but Italian President Sergio Mattarella vetoed their choice of finance minister because of his eurosceptic views .
Ex-IMF economist Carlo Cottarelli has instead been asked to appoint a technocrat government, where decision-makers are selected on their knowledge in their areas of expertise, until a new election can be held.
Amid the uncertainty, Mr Cottarelli says there's no time to waste.
(Italian, then trans:) "I have accepted the task to form a government as the President has asked. As an Italian I am very honoured by this task and I will do my best. The President has asked me to come to parliament with a program to accompany the country to new elections. I expect to present the list of ministers to the President very quickly ..."
If Mr Cottarelli is unable to present a program to parliament, including a budget that will pass, his government will resign until elections are held in September.
The move to appoint Mr Cottarelli has angered Five Star politician Manlio Di Stefano who told the B-B-C his party and the League will reject his nomination in parliament.
"The worst part of the situation is that we were able to create a government, we had the numbers, we still have the numbers in the chambers. And we were refused simply because the political opinion of our candidate on the economy was not on the same direction as the President wants. And it is something absolutely anti-democratic."
The Five Star Movement is calling on the Italian parliament to impeach the president, while also encouraging peaceful protests and rallies this Saturday ((2 June)).
Observers say early elections are exactly what the two populist parties want because it gives them a chance to boost support.
Meanwhile, people in Rome are divided about the latest political developments.
("Italian then translated:) "I voted for the Northern League and I feel a little betrayed because I had hopes in everything that had been said and now I am dumbfounded." // "I find it amazing that more than 80 days have passed since the election and a government still has not been formed. There is certainly a problem with our way of voting and our majority system. But I think above all that misinformation reigns in Italy. And we forget several founding elements, for example that the President of the Republic exercised his powers in full respect of the constitution."
Mr Cottarelli has pledged that his government will uphold what he calls Italy's "essential" role in both the European Union and in the eurozone.
But markets remain on edge, with the prospect of anti-euro political sentiment taking hold in Italy.
Analysts say the Italian economy is big enough to throw the entire eurozone into disarray if it suffers a debt crisis.
Report by Hannah Sinclair, SBS news.
