Mr Matteo Renzi, Italy's former prime minister and founder of the new Italia Viva party, sits in an opulent-looking office, face to the camera. An oil painting hangs to one side of him, on the other sits a Renaissance bust.
A technician checks his sound levels, and then Mr Renzi is off. He starts by gurning at an offscreen audience member, greeting them in a hoarse stage whisper. Then he turns on his fellow politicians. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Foreign Affairs Minister Luigi Di Maio, European Parliament MP Carlo Calenda - they all receive the same obscene arm gesture, punctuated with a little sneer.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
