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In Italy Bruno Vespa is considered an important and accredited journalist by many. He has been editor of the TV news “TG1″ (Rai1) for three years and since 1996 he is the host of one the main Italian political talk show “Porta a Porta” (Rai1).
In 1992 when he was editor of TG1 he stated that his reference publisher was Democrazia Cristiana, the party that dominated Italian politics for over fifty years. DC collapsed in 1994 as consequence of Mani Pulite investigation that disclosed a huge corruption at every political level. After the fall of the party many members of DC joined Forza Italia (Silvio Berlusconi’s) so that FI became the party with more Christian Democrats inside.
Owing to his statement Vespa was criticized and accused to use information and journalism for the interest and advantage of political parties and political power.
This critic has been and it still is very recurring in Vespa’s professional life. He is often accused to be too obliging towards political leaders, especially Silvio Berlusconi, and political power. Comedian Beppe Grillo said about him:“Bruno Vespa is a damage for the Country, for free information and for economy”.
In May 2005 he has been wiretapped while speaking to Salvatore Sottile, present President of the Chamber of Deputies’ spokesman. In that wiretap Vespa assured Sottile that he would have done a “made to measure-installment” for Gianfranco Fini (Foreign Minister and leader of Alleanza Nazionale at that time).
The Financial Times writes about Italy and its Prime Minister, comparing the freedom of press of the Bel Paese to North Korea.
Berlusconi enjoys state aid
By Guy Dinmore in Rome
Published: October 18 2008 03:00 | Last updated: October 18 2008 03:00
Banks and markets are tumbling but the crisis is benefiting Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian premier, whose treatment in parts of the media is nearing North Korean levels of adulation as his government exerts an authority not seen for decades.
The prime minister declared on the front pages of Italian newspapers that “state aid, which until yesterday was considered a sin, is now absolutely essential”, along with promises of money for the car industry and other enterprises.
Ilvo Diamanti, a sociologist, said: “Disgraced in the 1980s, unnameable in the 90s, the state is back . . . as guarantor, saviour, exhibited like an icon, a sacred image.”
Some weeks ago Minister Mara Carfagna gave Italy a lesson of great morals.
The woman who used to perform as showgirl in TV shows and who posed partially nude for a calendar and for magazines firmly stated “I do not understand who sells her own body”.
She announced a new bill against prostitution in street; according to what she stated who will be caught with a prostitute will be immediately catapulted into a jail. The future law punishes clients and prostitutes caught bargaining in street: they risk from 5 to 15 days of arrest and a fine from 200 to 3.000 euro.
The law won’t deal with slave trades, exploitation of underage prostitution and it won’t regulate prostitution as in Holland for instance.
Practically the bill is just a huge electoral spot that Italian newspapers and TV news have helped to issue without explaining what the truth is: it will be very difficult to end up in jail.
As journalist Marco Travaglio explained in his blog, even if the judge applies the maximum punishment, 15 days, nobody will end up in prison. In Italy probation is applied up to 2 years of punishment and if the punishment goes over 2 years and arrives at 3 years this is not served in prison but mostly in social services. So even if the client always gets the maximum punishment he will have to be arrested and sentenced at least 73 times to go beyond 3 years and end up in prison.
It is unbelievable, and yet it is true.
Censorship is part of Italian politics, media and people’s DNA, they rise scandalized and terrify at the first sign of freedom of expression and thought.
On Tuesday in Roma, Piazza Navona, there has been a crowded demonstration against Silvio Berlusconi’s Government and his legislative masterpieces.
Intellectuals, artists, journalists and comedians attended it. The leader of Italia dei Valori Antonio Di Pietro, who strongly supported the demonstration, was the only politician to get on the stage and talk. The Partito Democratico, the other opposition party, was absent and criticized those gathered in that square decided to shout their own indignation against the present actions of the Government, despite there were several PD flags waving in Piazza Navona proof that not all electors share their opinions and political choices.
Walter Veltroni, leader of PD, and his “Shadows-Ministers” decided to demonstrate in Fall. Mr Berlusconi is working really hard to pass every sort of unconstitutional and ad personam law (5 in a month) right now, but the biggest Italian opposition party will demonstrate against it after a couple of months. A tortuous logic.
After the demonstration in Roma, censors from every political front, starting from Walter Veltroni, rose for what had been said on that stage and, above all, for what two comedians had said. Besides Italian media simply forgot or just hinted at the reasons why all those people had gathered in square.
During the last days Italian newspapers whispered and hinted at presumed “strong erotic content” wiretaps between Berlusconi, who was leader of the opposition at the time, and the showgirl Mara Carfagna. According to the newspapers during the phone calls they talked explicitly about oral sex.
Italy’s prime minister and the law
The fruits of office
The government drafts new laws to constrain the magistracy
SILVIO BERLUSCONI is a man of perseverance. Two months after winning the Italian election, he is starting to deal with the judicial system, and those working in it, as robustly as when he was last in power, in 2001-06. During the campaign he said prosecutors should undergo checks on their mental health. Now more attacks on the magistracy and bespoke laws to protect himself and his business interests seem to be priorities once again.
On June 17th Renato Schifani, speaker of the Senate, read a letter from Mr Berlusconi backing an amendment proposed by two senators that would stop for a year all trials for crimes committed before June 2002, except for those the government deems most serious. Some critics say this is unconstitutional, as it interferes with the requirement that trials should be of reasonable duration and that due legal process must be observed. Mr Berlusconi is on trial in Milan accused of judicial corruption, along with a British lawyer who helped to establish a secret offshore network of companies for Mr Berlusconi’s business empire. Now nearing its end, this trial would be among those to be halted. The amendment was passed by the Senate on June 18th.
In his letter, Mr Berlusconi claimed that many cases have been brought against him by extreme left-wing magistrates for political ends. He has also told Mr Schifani that he wants legislation to suspend trials involving the holders of Italy’s highest offices of state. Mr Schifani was behind a similar law in 2003 that was later ruled unconstitutional.
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