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WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week

Deadline to opt out of TV licence fee and details of Italy’s ‘green’ car bonus – here’s what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 29 January 2024 09:36 CET
Electric car, Italy
An electric SUV charging at a station in downtown Milan in March 2023. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Monday

Italy eyes energy deals with African nations

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni was set to meet with the leaders of African countries on Monday, January 29th as part of a two-day Italy-Africa summit.  

Meloni was expected to present the so-called Mattei Plan – a blueprint of energy cooperation deals with African nations which critics say favours European interests.

Meloni, who came to power in 2022 on an anti-migrant platform, hopes to posit Italy as a key bridge between Africa and Europe, funnelling energy north while forging political deals aimed at preventing irregular migration to Italy, AFP reported.

Critics say the government aims to strike advantageous anti-migration or migrant repatriation deals after electoral campaign promises to curb sea arrivals went unfulfilled.

Wednesday

New piracy blocker

A new anti-piracy platform designed to block illegal streaming within 30 minutes of detection will first come into effect on Wednesday, January 31st.

Known as ‘Piracy Shield’, the platform will reportedly improve upon previous blocking methods by covering more internet providers and allowing for quicker handling of piracy reports.

The digital tool, which is set to be managed by Italy’s communications authority AgCom, will come after broadcasters’ calls for tougher legislation on piracy amid growing numbers of illegal streams.

Pirated content is estimated to cost Italian football broadcasters alone some 350 million euros every year. 

Users caught streaming pirated content in Italy currently face fines of up to 5,000 euros.

Broadcast, football

A TV cameraman is pictured during an Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Hellas Verona in June 2023. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

Opt-out deadline for Italy’s TV licence fee

Homeowners in Italy will have until Wednesday, January 31st to opt out of the national TV licence fee (or canone).

The 70-euro fee is based on a peculiar opt-out rather than opt-in system, with the charge being automatically added to a household’s electricity bill. 

READ ALSO: Who can opt out of paying the Italian TV licence fee?

This means homeowners who don’t have a TV set need to complete and submit the payment exemption form with Italy’s Agenzia delle Entrate (tax office) by the end of January each year.

Thursday

Italy to unveil new ‘green’ car bonus

Italy’s business minister Adolfo Urso is set to unveil a new round of state incentives for the purchase of non-polluting vehicles on Thursday, February 1st.

The scheme is not the first of its kind as similar incentives ran last year with a fund of 650 million euros in total. 

Urso said last week that the latest incentives are intended to “favour the purchase of ecologically sustainable vehicles” and “boost national production” by offering discounts of up to 13,750 euros for customers buying cars with low CO2 emission levels (less than 135 grams per kilometre, according to the latest reports). 

Saturday

Viareggio Carnival starts 

The Viareggio Carnival – one the most spectacular carnival festivals in the country – will start on Saturday, February 3rd. 

Though it may not be as well known abroad as the Venice Carnival, carnevale in Viareggio, on Tuscany’s northern coast, has little to envy from celebrations in the Venetian lagoon. 

Every year the town sees masked participants carry hundreds of colourful papier-mâché floats, including large-scale caricatures of politicians and celebrities, along the seafront followed by a variety of music and dancing performances.

The parade will take place on six different dates this year, with the last available date being Saturday, February 24th.

Viareggio, Italy, Carnival

A float featuring caricatures of political leaders Giorgio Napolitano and Mario Monti during the Viareggio Carnival in February 2013. Photo by FABIO MUZZI / AFP

Italy faces England in Six Nations Rome opener

Italy’s national rugby team will start their journey in the historic Six Nations Championship by facing England at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico at 3.15pm Italian time on Saturday, February 3rd.

The game will be broadcast free of charge on TV8 (channel eight on most TV sets in Italy). Those wishing to see the Azzurri in action from up close can grab tickets for the game here.

Sunday

Free museum openings

People around Italy will be able to visit state-run museums and archaeological sites free of charge on Sunday, February 4th under the popular Domenica al Museo or ‘free museum Sundays’ national scheme.

The initiative applies to hundreds of sites, including world-famous attractions like the Colosseum, Pompeii, Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia, the Reggia di Caserta and Trieste’s Miramare Castle. 

Find more information about how it works in our article.

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN ITALY

On the agenda: What’s happening in Italy this week

A summer tyres deadline, Milan's clampdown on rowdy nightlife and potential disruption for train passengers: here's what to expect in Italy this week.

Published: 12 May 2024 08:06 CEST
On the agenda: What's happening in Italy this week

Monday

Ministers to assess university protests

University Minister Anna Maria Bernini will meet with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and a number of university deans on Monday, May 13th to assess the situation in campuses around the country following a series of students’ protests in recent months.

Bernini said last week she was not concerned by acts of protest in and of themselves but rather by “groups that engage in destructive actions and crime, knock down doors [and] attack police officers”.

Police forces have clashed with students multiple times in recent months. Some 13 protesters, ten of them minors, were injured during a pro-Palestine demonstration in Pisa in late February – an incident which sparked an investigation for police violence into 15 members of Pisa’s mobile police squad.

Wednesday

Summer tyres deadline 

Motorists in Italy have until Wednesday, May 15th to make the switch from winter to summer tyres.

After the window to make the switch closes, drivers breaking the rules will face a fine of up to 1,731 euros plus the requirement to undergo a revisione (the Italian equivalent of a UK MOT test or a vehicle inspection in the US).

Italy’s summer tyre requirement is a frequent source of confusion for motorists around the country as it doesn’t apply to all vehicles. See our article on the topic to find out whether or not it applies to you.

Coppa Italia final

Juventus will take on Atalanta in the final act of this year’s Coppa Italia – Italy’s second-biggest football competition after the Serie A league – on Wednesday, May 15th.

Football fans will be able to watch the final for free on Canale 5 (channel 5 on Italian TV sets) or on Mediaset’s online streaming platform Infinity. Kickoff’s set for 9pm Italian time.

Friday

Milan to clamp down on rowdy nightlife

New legislation aimed at clamping down on Milan’s rowdy nightlife and stopping crowds of revellers from keeping residents awake will come into force in 12 of the city’s most popular movida districts from Friday, May 17th. 

People pictured at a bar in southern Milan's Navigli district

People pictured at a bar in southern Milan’s Navigli district. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

There is currently little information about the upcoming measure as Milan’s city council hasn’t yet presented the decree’s final text.

That said, while initial national and international media reports said that the measure would include an overnight ban on the sale of takeaway food, including ice cream (hence the nickname of ‘gelato ban’), councillors later clarified that “ice cream is not the target” and that the rules would focus on the sale of “drinks, especially alcoholic ones.”

Genoa’s Rolli Days

Genoa’s famous Rolli Palaces will open to the general public from Friday, May 17th to Sunday, May 19th as part of the spring edition of the city’s popular Rolli Days scheme.

The Rolli Palaces are a collection of Unesco-protected buildings built between the 16th and 17th century at the behest of some of the most powerful families in the former Genoa Republic. They are generally regarded as some of the most outstanding examples of late Renaissance and Baroque architecture in Italy.

More information about the event and bookings is available here.

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Formula One racing will return to Imola, southeast of Bologna, this weekend after the 2023 edition of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled due to devastating floods in the region. 

Practice sessions will take place on Friday, May 17th, followed by a qualifying session on Saturday and a 63-lap race on Sunday. 

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz pictured during the sprint race ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz pictured during the sprint race ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in April 2022. Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP

Find the full weekend schedule here. Info on tickets can be found here.

Sunday

Nationwide Trenitalia strike

Train passengers around the country may face delays or cancellations on Sunday, May 19th as staff at national rail operator Trenitalia plan to take part in a 23-hour strike (from 3am on Sunday to 2am on Monday). 

The protest, which is backed by the PdM/PdB union, is expected to affect long-distance services as well as regional and local routes.

The level of disruption caused by the walkout will vary from region to region, with Trenitalia expected to release information on guaranteed services closer to the date of the strike.

Italian Open final

The 81st edition of the Internazionali d’Italia – Italy’s most prestigious tennis open – will come to an end this weekend, with the finalists of the men’s singles tournament set to square up on the Central Court of Rome’s Foro Italico on Sunday, May 19th.

Sky Sport Italia and their streaming platform Sky Go will show the match live, but you’ll need to purchase a subscription plan to access the service.

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