ENI: frenemies reunited

Italy never shared its European neighbours’ unease about cozying up to Libya, its former colony. And under Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister, the countries’ special relationship is breaking new ground. This year has seen Libya take a stake in Unicredit, one of Italy’s biggest banks, and openly mull investing in Telecom Italia. Now it wants a piece of Eni, the Italian energy giant. The Libyan advances follow Berlusconi’s signing of a treaty with Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi in August. Th...