The idea of forming a grand political coalition, even though it has been suggested on some occasions, has always been regarded as pretty unrealistic in Italy. But a meeting of minds between right and left seems to be thriving in the country’s television sector, of all places.

One might expect the political parties to be at daggers drawn given that Silvio Berlusconi, the current prime minister, owns Italy’s dominant private sector broadcaster Mediaset. This is not to mention the fact that, as prime minister, he has in effect control of the state broadcaster Rai, which together with Mediaset accounts for well over 90 per cent of Italy’s free-to-air television output.