Political instability in Italy has always affected reform

In few countries can there be as much disdain for the political class as in Italy, not least because of the system’s high cost. It is not just that the country has too many levels of government, though it does. It is also the excessive pay and perks attached to elected office. The bestselling book “La Casta”, published in 2007, found that members of the Italian parliament were paid more than their equivalents in almost all other EU countries. It also revealed that the public sector had access to a fleet of 72,000 cars. Such public largesse continues today.