On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week
Election results, end of face mask rules and airline staff strikes: here are the key events in Italy that you should know about.
Monday
Election results – As of Monday morning, the count was still in progress, but the centrodestra right-wing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy were poised to claim over 44 percent of the vote, making it the clear victor.
A more accurate overview of the election’s outcome was expected to emerge later on Monday but the centre-left Democratic Party, the coalition’s main rivals, had already conceded defeat, saying it was a “sad” day.
Turnout was said to have fallen to a historic low of around 64 percent, about nine points lower than the last elections, held in 2018.
READ ALSO: Giorgia Meloni’s far right triumphs in Italy vote
Tuesday
La Scala in Città – The second edition of La Scala in Città (La Scala in the City) will start on Tuesday, September 27th.
The festival, organised by Milan’s world-renowned La Scala opera house, will bring a wealth of events to the northern city, with music and dance performances taking place in a number of exclusive urban locations.
Once again, the initiative’s objective will be to “find new spectators across the city and inspire children to engage in music or dance”.
All events are free of charge, though previous booking is required. The festival’s calendar is available here.
Wednesday
Reform of welfare laws – A draft bill proposing to amend national welfare measures for non-self-sufficient elderly people might receive ministers’ seal of approval on Wednesday, September 28th.
That would effectively start the bill’s legislative journey through parliament and mark the first step towards its enactment into law.
A draft bill reforming national welfare measures for the elderly might receive ministers’ approval on Wednesday. Photo by Thierry ZOCCOLAN / AFP
The bill, which seeks to “strengthen” welfare policies by allocating greater funds to the support of elderly people and their families, is one of the many reforms required by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza, or PNRR).
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What’s changing under Italy’s post-pandemic recovery plan?
The draft’s approval has already been postponed on multiple occasions, partly because of the political uncertainty that’s been lingering over the PNRR ever since the collapse of Draghi’s coalition government earlier in July.
Thursday
Strike at Bergamo’s Orio al Serio airport – Staff from handling company BGY International Services at Bergamo’s Orio al Serio airport will strike from 10am to 2pm on Thursday, September 29th.
At the time of writing, the reasons behind the strike were not clear, though Italian unions had voiced workers’ concerns over “excessive workloads” during the summer.
Sadly, it also wasn’t clear whether the strike would affect airline travel from and to Bergamo’s airport during the day and, if so, in what measure.
As always, passengers are advised to check the status of their flight before starting their journey.
I Primi d’Italia festival – One of Italy’s most anticipated culinary festivals, I Primi d’Italia (Italy’s First Courses), will return to Foligno, Umbria on Thursday.
READ ALSO: Sagra: The best Italian food festivals to visit in September
Once again, the city’s centro storico will provide a picturesque backdrop to around 40 scheduled events ranging from wine tasting to cooking shows.
Italy’s very own first courses festival will start on Thursday in Foligno, Umbria. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP
This year’s festival will also host some illustrious names from the cooking world, including three-Michelin-star chef Mauro Uliassi.
Friday
End of face mask rules – As of Friday, September 30th, face masks will no longer be required on Italian public transport (buses, trains, trams, ferries, etc.).
The mask mandate was originally meant to lapse on June 15th but it had been extended by outgoing health minister Roberto Speranza after an uptick in infections at the beginning of the summer.
Friday will also mark the end of mask-wearing requirements for those accessing healthcare facilities or care homes, whether they be visitors, patients or staff.
Having said that, staff and visitors will still have to produce a valid ‘super green pass’ – i.e. a health pass certifying that the holder has been fully vaccinated against or has recovered from Covid-19 – to access the above-mentioned facilities.
Barring any extension, the ‘green pass’ mandate will expire on December 31st.
Weekend
National airline staff strike – Pilots and cabin crew from Ryanair and Vueling will take part in a national strike action on Saturday, October 1st.
In particular, Ryanair staff will hold a 24-hour walkout, whereas Vueling staff will strike for a total of four hours, from 1pm to 5pm.
READ ALSO: Italian low-cost airline staff to strike on October 1st
At the time of writing it wasn’t yet clear how the strike would affect passengers, though significant delays or cancellations could not be ruled out.
Ryanair pilots and cabin crew will take part in a 24-hour strike on Saturday, October 1st, likely causing disruption to air travel on the day. Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP
Italian trade unions Filt-Cgil and Uiltrasporti called the strike in protest against employers’ failure to “grant acceptable working conditions and wages that are in line with minimum national salaries”.
Start of ski season – Aosta Valley’s ski season will officially start on Saturday, October 1st, when the popular Cervinia ski resort will open its doors to winter sports enthusiasts.
This year, a daily ski pass in Cervinia will cost between 51 and 57 euro – it was between 47 and 53 last year.
Aside from Cervinia’s early start, all the other ski resorts in the Aosta Valley region will open their doors to the public on November 26th provided that there is enough snow on their slopes.
Comments
See Also
Monday
Election results – As of Monday morning, the count was still in progress, but the centrodestra right-wing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy were poised to claim over 44 percent of the vote, making it the clear victor.
A more accurate overview of the election’s outcome was expected to emerge later on Monday but the centre-left Democratic Party, the coalition’s main rivals, had already conceded defeat, saying it was a “sad” day.
Turnout was said to have fallen to a historic low of around 64 percent, about nine points lower than the last elections, held in 2018.
READ ALSO: Giorgia Meloni’s far right triumphs in Italy vote
Tuesday
La Scala in Città – The second edition of La Scala in Città (La Scala in the City) will start on Tuesday, September 27th.
The festival, organised by Milan’s world-renowned La Scala opera house, will bring a wealth of events to the northern city, with music and dance performances taking place in a number of exclusive urban locations.
Once again, the initiative’s objective will be to “find new spectators across the city and inspire children to engage in music or dance”.
All events are free of charge, though previous booking is required. The festival’s calendar is available here.
Wednesday
Reform of welfare laws – A draft bill proposing to amend national welfare measures for non-self-sufficient elderly people might receive ministers’ seal of approval on Wednesday, September 28th.
That would effectively start the bill’s legislative journey through parliament and mark the first step towards its enactment into law.
The bill, which seeks to “strengthen” welfare policies by allocating greater funds to the support of elderly people and their families, is one of the many reforms required by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza, or PNRR).
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What’s changing under Italy’s post-pandemic recovery plan?
The draft’s approval has already been postponed on multiple occasions, partly because of the political uncertainty that’s been lingering over the PNRR ever since the collapse of Draghi’s coalition government earlier in July.
Thursday
Strike at Bergamo’s Orio al Serio airport – Staff from handling company BGY International Services at Bergamo’s Orio al Serio airport will strike from 10am to 2pm on Thursday, September 29th.
At the time of writing, the reasons behind the strike were not clear, though Italian unions had voiced workers’ concerns over “excessive workloads” during the summer.
Sadly, it also wasn’t clear whether the strike would affect airline travel from and to Bergamo’s airport during the day and, if so, in what measure.
As always, passengers are advised to check the status of their flight before starting their journey.
I Primi d’Italia festival – One of Italy’s most anticipated culinary festivals, I Primi d’Italia (Italy’s First Courses), will return to Foligno, Umbria on Thursday.
READ ALSO: Sagra: The best Italian food festivals to visit in September
Once again, the city’s centro storico will provide a picturesque backdrop to around 40 scheduled events ranging from wine tasting to cooking shows.
This year’s festival will also host some illustrious names from the cooking world, including three-Michelin-star chef Mauro Uliassi.
Friday
End of face mask rules – As of Friday, September 30th, face masks will no longer be required on Italian public transport (buses, trains, trams, ferries, etc.).
The mask mandate was originally meant to lapse on June 15th but it had been extended by outgoing health minister Roberto Speranza after an uptick in infections at the beginning of the summer.
Friday will also mark the end of mask-wearing requirements for those accessing healthcare facilities or care homes, whether they be visitors, patients or staff.
Having said that, staff and visitors will still have to produce a valid ‘super green pass’ – i.e. a health pass certifying that the holder has been fully vaccinated against or has recovered from Covid-19 – to access the above-mentioned facilities.
Barring any extension, the ‘green pass’ mandate will expire on December 31st.
Weekend
National airline staff strike – Pilots and cabin crew from Ryanair and Vueling will take part in a national strike action on Saturday, October 1st.
In particular, Ryanair staff will hold a 24-hour walkout, whereas Vueling staff will strike for a total of four hours, from 1pm to 5pm.
READ ALSO: Italian low-cost airline staff to strike on October 1st
At the time of writing it wasn’t yet clear how the strike would affect passengers, though significant delays or cancellations could not be ruled out.
Italian trade unions Filt-Cgil and Uiltrasporti called the strike in protest against employers’ failure to “grant acceptable working conditions and wages that are in line with minimum national salaries”.
Start of ski season – Aosta Valley’s ski season will officially start on Saturday, October 1st, when the popular Cervinia ski resort will open its doors to winter sports enthusiasts.
This year, a daily ski pass in Cervinia will cost between 51 and 57 euro – it was between 47 and 53 last year.
Aside from Cervinia’s early start, all the other ski resorts in the Aosta Valley region will open their doors to the public on November 26th provided that there is enough snow on their slopes.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.