Giuseppe Garibaldi (Peppino to his friends) lives in a tiny Italian mountain village. “Afflicted” with incurable optimism he enjoys good company, finds his work at the public library extremely rewarding but – above all… he loves fishing along the mountain streams. His life moves on peacefully until, by one of those political intrigues, his name comes up as the elected President of the country. He finds himself suddenly cast into a role he knows he is inadequate for but for which, against all odds, he accepts responsibility. His shameless commonsense, unlimited straightforwardness and disarming honesty produce unexpected results. The new President shakes the institutions to the bones and wins back the trust of a disheartened country. But of course murky schemings can be glimpsed over the horizon. Life in the high seat of power will never be as peaceful as a mountain spring.