MagazineVoices and fears from an Ireland that depends on Big Tech and is celebrating the US election result. But now it is looking to EuropeTrump has reopened a long-standing wound, but everyone – from the Foreign Secretary to the Italian Ambassador, right through to the influential economist who has advised several governments – has poured water on the fire smouldering beneath the ashes. And they have emphasised the shift that has now become necessary: more EU, less America. ReportdiStefano Cingolani9 NOV 26
MagazineFrom Lucretius to Moravia: a literary history of boredomThe sentiment underlying today’s brutality has permeated, like an invisible spectre, so much of the thought and suffering in the history of our civilisation. An excursusdiCarmelo Zaffora9 NOV 26
MAGAZINELost in endless libraries. The subtle art of knowing which books not to read or to forgetEvery book is an attempt to distil a library. Today, selecting information is easier, but knowing what to ignore still requires a great deal of reading. From the invention of the printing press to AI, an unresolved paradox and a question: what value does what we have discarded hold?diGiorgio Caravale9 NOV 26
An international newspaperFor Houellebecq, it is easier to understand evil than good. “And so what if they call me a fascist?”“The French are starting to get used to violence. For several years now, whenever there is an event that brings large numbers of people onto the streets, there is looting. Always.” So said the writer to the Spanish newspapers El País and ABC.9 NOV 26
The editor’s editorialTrump’s defeat is a political rout for Putin and PutinismBeing close to the Kremlin does not pay off; it does not win votes, in America any more than in other countries. Russia is in trouble, militarily and economically, and within its sphere of influence. Putinism not only fails to work but is anything but invincible. One simply has to be willing to understand this.diClaudio Cerasa9 NOV 26
in JerusalemManaging the demonisation of IsraelEisenkot’s move and the future. Why the crisis of anti-Zionism will not be resolved by a change of governmentdiPierluigi Battista9 NOV 26
magazineThe timeless Bob Dylan. Please switch off your mobile phones before entering.The elusive song of the rock poet who turns his music on its head. Amongst the bewildered yet adoring audience, there are those who snap a few photosdiVittorio Bongiorno9 NOV 26
MagazineSing to me, O woman, of your wrath. A bookRelentless, bloody and morally reprehensible, female rage has always been ‘observed through the peephole’ by men. In her book Furiose, Silvia Romani traces the origins of this immense rage back to the ancient world.diAnnalena Benini9 NOV 26
The editorial from ‘L’Elefantino’The war of state-sponsored harassment that we do not believe inIt doesn’t even seem like a breach of the peace: hybrid warfare is the gangster-style variation on the use of force in relations between nations, the creeping prelude to the loss of sovereignty and freedom. Yet we still do not consider tackling itdiGiuliano Ferrara8 NOV 26
The SituationThe defeat of Trump’s agendaThe midterm results show that protectionism, tariffs, the trade war with Europe, leniency towards Putin, hostility towards Ukraine and isolationism have neither improved the lives of Americans nor rewarded those who advocate themdiClaudio Cerasa8 NOV 26
magazineThe pyromaniac intellectuals. The nasty little schoolmasters who fan the flamesNot one huge fire, but many small blazes across the West. “Let’s set the streets of Paris alight; there is no revolution without excesses”diGiulio Meotti8 NOV 26
MagazineVenice: letters from the future of a city that refuses to dieIn 1966, the Acqua Granda transformed the city into the “central episode of the crisis of the modern world”. To save it, it was ‘hospitalised’. Now Paolini’s beautiful civic “Veglia” for the Biennale at the Arsenale does not mourn but looks aheaddiMaurizio Crippa8 NOV 26
ROME CAPOCCIAA square is being turned into a pedestrian zone and, as always, protests ensue. Surreal but trueThe redevelopment of Piazza Monteleone in Spoleto, in the Fleming district, will see the introduction of new trees, benches and pedestrian areas. However, some residents and shopkeepers are protesting against the loss of parking spaces and changes to the traffic layout. It’s a scenario we’ve seen before in many Roman neighbourhoods. diGianluca Roselli8 NOV 26
GRAN MILANOIn the south, it’s all about logisticsThe southern belt is attracting new investment in logistics, with major operators set to open new distribution centres. It is a growing sector, but one facing the risk of saturation of available sites and an increasingly congested road network. The regional government is exploring new transport links diGiovanni Seu8 NOV 26
Il Foglio SportFrom Balotelli to Vialli, football on a disc. The idea from Materazi Future ClubThe three musicians’ new album tells the story of Italians in England who, at different times and with varying degrees of success, have ventured into the richest and most challenging league in the worlddiMaurizio Zoja8 NOV 26
MagazineAI for candidates. A brief history of election campaignsArtificial intelligence has turned the rules of propaganda on their head, but it all began on the walls of PompeiidiMaurizio Stefanini8 NOV 26
ODD FACESDirector Antonietta De Lillo: “In cinema, the industry cannot triumph over culture”“If you do something that doesn’t fit into the mainstream or the authorial category, you become unclassifiable. To me, both labels seemed too restrictive.” InterviewdiFrancesco Palmieri8 NOV 26
in the mid-term electionsAmerica has had enough of Trump. But the Democrats have yet to work out why they wonThe Republican defeat goes beyond the traditional rejection of the president’s party: voters have punished Trump and his administration, without necessarily endorsing the Democratic agenda. Now the winning party must unite moderates and progressives, whilst the Republicans must reflect on their future. Analysis by political scientists Hans Noel and Anthony FowlerdiAni Chkhikvadze8 NOV 26
the literary featureLatchford: the dark side of MalrauxAmidst plundered temples, the Khmer Rouge and Western museums, Douglas Latchford turned the looting of Cambodian art into an empire. Reporter Matthew Campbell traces the rise and fall of an art dealer who wanted to be Malraux, yet failed to turn his plunder into literature or civic engagementdiMassimo Morello8 NOV 26
Foglio della ModaA history of costume at Palazzo MorandoMosé Bianchi’s painted fashion: an exceptional collection on displaydiIlaria De Palma8 NOV 26
Fewer dreams, more idealsHow can a generation of dull and bored adults be a source of inspiration for young people?An increasing number of tedious adults are urging bored young people: ‘Come on, dream’. But where? Which adult today can a young man or woman look up to and want to emulate, to live ‘like’ him or her? diDavide Rondoni8 NOV 26
Cats on the front pageUnderstanding humanity through animals: the injustice of a hen with a messy combIlide Carmignani and Elena Battista have compiled a list of idioms which, by featuring animals, convey the joys, hardships, disappointments, enthusiasm or mistrust that we experience every day, whatever language we speakdiTina Guiducci8 NOV 26
Foglio della ModaItalian cotton in DubaiA wide-ranging conversation with Stefano Beraldo, CEO of the OVS Group, which continues to enjoy double-digit growth; the group has just opened its largest store in the emirate and offers a preview of the guidelines for its new aeroponic production project (zero pesticides, environmental impact reduced to a minimum), currently being trialled in Piedmont diFabiana Giacomotti8 NOV 26
Gran MilanoEvery candidate has their own thorn. A guide to avoiding getting prickedFrom Perego to Sardone, from Majorino to Calabresi: every mayoral hopeful has a weakness to overcome. Between public profile, party politics, the stadium and stances on city issues, the race for Palazzo Marino is already a balancing actdiFabio Massa8 NOV 26
The Left for GualtieriBeyond the PD, in the territory controlled by AVS, other political forces are in dialogue (and gaining ground)Whereas once the focus was on Ignazio Marino (see Avs), agreements are now being struck with the outgoing Democratic Party mayor. And the Civic Ecologist Left is back on the scene ‘in support of Gualtieri’, whilst the M5S is showing a willingness to engage in dialoguediMarianna Rizzini8 NOV 26
Il Foglio SportFootball without selfies. The stadiums’ revolt against influencersFrom Dynamo Dresden to Hertha Berlin, a number of German football clubs have declared stadium vloggers persona non grata. This is for commercial reasons – as those affected by the measure were often monetising their content – as well as for reasons of atmosphere, respect and the quality of the experience.diRoberto Gotta8 NOV 26
Il Foglio SportThe blind woman who teaches the Prime Minister to see. The story of Samantha GoughThe visually impaired footballer, captain of the Leonesse, now travels throughout the UK as a consultant to teams in the English league: “Playing football was my dream; I had two paths: to become the driving force behind positive change, or to hide in the shadows.”diPaola Arrigoni8 NOV 26
Il Foglio SportAmerica is banking on the WNBA businessThe Finals attracted 3.3 million viewers for the decisive match. A journey through the economic boom in women’s basketball, with Cecilia Zandalasini winning her second championship ring with the Golden State ValkyriesdiMoris Gasparri8 NOV 26
Dance of HopeThis is how Saba defied the Iranian regime, on tiptoe and without a single strand of hairAs a child, she used to dance in secret in Iran, before eventually managing to move to Milan. When she returned to Tehran in 2022, during the protests over Mahsa Amini, she was taken in for questioning. The story of Saba Poori, told in a book co-written with Federico Taddia diFilippo Maria Battaglia8 NOV 26
Letters from...Milan: a dog changes everything. A letter from a gold prospectorIn Milan, a city of glittering shop windows and neglected greetings, all it takes is a dog to rediscover a little human warmth. Between ambushes on the lead and memories of lost companions, Winston unearths a sense of camaraderie that seemed to have vanisheddiMarina Corradi8 NOV 26