Its time to leave America behind
The week's news at a glance.
Italy
Barbara Spinelli
La Stampa
Italy needs a new direction, said Barbara Spinelli in Milan’s La Stampa. After five years under outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the country has lost prestige. In Europe, Berlusconi followed Britain’s Tony Blair in opposing close political cooperation among E.U. states. Abroad, he followed the George W. Bush line, presenting the war in Iraq as part of the struggle against terrorism. “Both strategies failed.” Under incoming Prime Minister Romano Prodi, Italy could chart a different course—but which? “The alternative to the Anglo-American course doesn’t lie with France, and still less with Putin’s Russia.” In the run-up to the Iraq war, Paris and Moscow could have used their significant influence with Saddam Hussein to pressure him to come clean about his weapons programs. Instead, they assured him—mistakenly—that the U.S. would not act without U.N. permission. Such coddling of a dictator was “un-European.” The best option for Italy would be to find common ground with Germany, and the two large economies together could propel the E.U. to global prominence. “For Italy, the polar star will have to be Europe.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
El Palace Barcelona: old-world luxury in the heart of the city
The Week Recommends This historic hotel is set within a former Ritz outpost moments from the Passeig de Gràcia
-
The best history books to read in 2025
The Week Recommends These fascinating deep-dives are perfect for history buffs
-
July 4 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Friday’s political cartoons include the danger of talking politics at a family picnic, and disappearing Medicaid entitlements