98 | Oh Italy!

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 A new Italian government spells a heap of trouble for Europe.  We ask how we got to this point and what it means the future of the Euro.  What really spooked the markets?  Who blinked first?  And why does Italian politics have such a soft spot for university professors?  Plus we talk about the new government in Spain and we weigh up the state of democracy across the continent.  Is this how democracy is meant to work or is this really how democracy ends?  With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Lucia Rubinelli from the LSE

84 | ​Italy, Germany and the Future of Europe

ermany finally has a government, while Italy has none.  We try  to make sense of the latest twists in European politics, including the extraordinary results of the Italian elections.  Why is social democracy is such trouble everywhere?  Can Merkel's grand coalition survive?  What
is Italy for anyway?  With Chris Clark, Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton.

78 | Nadia Urbinati on Italy

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With Italians elections coming up, we talking to the leading philosopher of democracy Nadia Urbinati about what's going on. How is Berlusconi still in the game? What is the role of the Five Star movement? Are Italian politicians learning any lessons from Trump or Macron? Plus we address the perennial question: is Italy a good indicator of where democracy is heading?

72 | Deal or No deal

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This week we try to work out who's up and who's down in the great game of European politics.  Has May won anything significant in the Brexit deal?  Is Merkel any nearer to forming a government?  Is Macron the big winner from recent events?  Plus we ask what prospect of Martin Schulz getting his United States of Europe, and what chance now of Jeremy Corbyn making it to No 10.  With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Chris Bickerton.