Before second world war, Italy used to be a monarchy ruled by the Savoia dynasty. After the war, on June 2nd 1946 Italians voted in a referendum and chose republic for their new government. It’s not been a large majority: republic won for just two million votes and the country was split with a republican north and a monarchic south. On June 13th, King Umberto II finally decided to leave the country, heading to Portugal. Italian parliament then enacted a law that forbade ex-Kings and their sons to enter the Italian territory. This law lasted until 2002, when it’s been removed and Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Umberto’s son, eventually had permission to return to Italy.

Today, Vittorio Emanuele is under investigation, suspected on several crimes. Some of his phone conversations have been recorded and I think he’ll have a hard time defending himself in court.

I never had sympathy for monarchs. Yes, sometimes they can rule a country better than democracy, while the latter can prove itself slow, corrupted and inefficient. But you know, rulers aren’t always illuminated, many of them don’t care that much for their country or are simply stupid or evil.  I’ve had enough of evil prime ministers, so whatever the outcome of the process against Vittorio Emanuele will be, today I thank our fathers for their vote in 1946.