Massimo Giannini
Massimo Giannini (b. 1962) is La Repubblica's deputy editor in chief and editorialist and directs the paper's finance supplement. His main focus is on politics and economics. A law graduate, he has also worked for La Stampa and Il Sole 24 Ore. He wrote Lo Statista (The Statesman) in 2008, a reconstruction of Silvio Berlusconi's political career.
Italy's sudden weakening in the markets has meant a blow to the credibility of Silvio Berlusconi, who has always said his country is doing fine. Today, with no sign of the Cavaliere, his government is hurriedly pushing through an austerity plan whose usefulness is far from assured. 
Governments and markets are playing a dangerous game of poker – to the death. At stake is nothing short of the euro itself, which, under fire from ruthless speculators, is liable to collapse amid the ruins of the Parthenon. And there’s one key player, Germany, whose nationalist strategy may well hasten the single currency's end.