Throw the bums out

last updated 8 January 2015

Rome

Italians have been devouring a political exposé for their beach reading this summer. The Caste: How Italian Politicians Became Untouchable, by Sergio Rizzo and Gian Antonio Stella, has been a runaway best-seller since it came out in May. It describes how, according to the authors, “a greedy and self-referential political class became a caste and invaded Italian society.” And it names names. Officials from mayors to prime ministers who have wasted public funds are exposed, along with details of their lavish lifestyles—chauffeured limousines, bodyguards, frivolous “fact-finding” trips, and some of the highest salaries in Europe. Parliament has been trying to mitigate the damage all summer, cutting government staff budgets and even legislators’ pensions.