Europe | Bumpy landing

Italian right-wingers have renamed Milan’s airport after Silvio Berlusconi

A finger in the eye of those who detested the late populist leader

People protest after Milan Malpensa airport has been officially renamed after former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Milan, Italy
Photograph: Alamy
|Rome

“I am appalled,” declared an executive of one of Italy’s premier fashion houses, contemplating the prospect of clients and suppliers arriving in Milan at Silvio Berlusconi airport. She is not alone. Although many Italians see the renaming of Malpensa airport on July 11th as a fitting tribute to the republic’s longest-serving prime minister, others are acutely embarrassed.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Bumpy landing”

From the July 27th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Europe

The “Trumpnado”, a wave shaped like Donald Trump's profile, crushing a boat with a European flag.

Can the good ship Europe weather the Trumpnado?

Tossed by political storms, the continent must dodge a new threat

Demonstrators march, shouting slogans against tourists in Barcelona

Spain’s proposed house tax on foreigners will not fix its shortage

Pedro Sánchez will need the opposition’s help to increase supply


Men from Ukraine’s 155th army brigade

A French-sponsored Ukrainian army brigade has been badly botched

The scandal reveals serious weaknesses in Ukraine’s military command


A TV dramatisation of Mussolini’s life inflames Italy

With Giorgia Meloni in power, the fascist past is more relevant than ever

France’s new prime minister is trying to court the left

François Bayrou gambles with Emmanuel Macron’s economic legacy

How the AfD got its swagger back

Germany’s hard-right party is gaining support even as it radicalises