Economic, political and social chaos could make Italy the West's first "failed state." But, according to Christopher Winner, editor and publisher of the American Magazine, a monthly news magazine based in Italy, the current crisis is nothing new — and nothing compared to past turmoil.
It's been more than a month since the Italian government imploded. Prime Minister Romano Prodi was voted out of office by the senate, leaving a power void that still hasn't been filled.
And if the Italian parliament's a mess, it's nothing compared to the scene in Naples, where mountains of trash are threatening to erupt. Some 250,000 tons are piled in the streets, thanks to overflowing landfills. Then there's the Italian economy — the third largest in the European Union, but the only one on the brink of recession.
Winner, who's lived and worked in Italy for 30 years, puts these numbers in context.
"Italy has a tendency towards drama," he says. "These are people who are attracted to opera."
Winner acknowledges that the figures aren't very pleasant. But he says that what a European state is expected to provide above all is health care and education — and this country does that.
Political dysfunction is a proud Italian tradition, Winner notes.
There have been 61 governments since World War II. Why can't Italians commit to a single administration? Winner explains that Italy's is a parliamentary government, with an emphasis on parties.
"Everyone wants their voices to be heard," he says. Compare the situation to other countries in the region. Until the mid-1970s, both Portugal and Spain had dictators. Well into the 1960s, Greece operated under a military regime.
"Italy has been enjoying the fruits of democracy, which means agreeing to disagree," Winner says. "And Italians do that quite well."
As for economics, Italians look across the ocean and see that the U.S. economy is faltering, or at least quite close to it. "It's a tonic," Winners says. They can look at America and think: "We're not alone."
Despite convincing reports in The New York Times and the Times of London, Winner says it's clear that Italy is not a failed state. For evidence, he points to the fact that the country is still one of the most powerful economies in Europe. It's still a country that attracts interest and attention worldwide.
"Italy will continue to have its problems," Winner says. "But it manages year-to-year to weather its problems without indication that people are willing to leave."
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