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C'è una polemica, ma i politici non ne discutono.

C'è una polemica, ma i politici non ne discutono.
There is a controversy, but the politicians do not discuss it.
From Lesson 175:Topic pronoun (ne)·Italian

Questions & Answers about C'è una polemica, ma i politici non ne discutono.

Why is ne used here instead of la to mean 'it'?
In English, you discuss 'it' directly. But in Italian, the verb discutere usually takes the preposition di when you discuss a topic (discutere di una polemica). Since ne replaces di plus a noun, we use ne instead of the direct object pronoun la.
Where exactly does ne go in a negative sentence?
Like most pronouns, ne goes immediately before the conjugated verb (discutono). The negative word non always goes right before the pronoun, giving us the strict order: non + ne + verb.
Why is the plural of politico spelled politici without an 'h' to keep the hard 'c' sound?
Normally, masculine words ending in -co add an h in the plural to keep the hard 'k' sound (like banco to banchi). But if the spoken stress falls on the third-to-last syllable, as in po-LI-ti-co, the plural usually changes to a soft 'ch' sound without the 'h', becoming po-LI-ti-ci.
Is polemica a common word, or is it as formal as the English 'polemic'?
It is much more common in Italian! While 'polemic' is quite formal in English, Italians use una polemica in everyday conversation to mean a controversy, a heated argument, or making a fuss.

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