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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.
On Friday the so called “Lodo Alfano” has been approved by the Italian Council of Ministers. The Government bill takes its name from the Minister of Justice Angelino Alfano.
Basically, the future law is a shield that protects the four high offices of the State from Law.
If the Prime Minister, the President of Republic, the President of Senate or the President of the Chamber of Deputies breaks a law he won’t be arrested (even if in the act of the crime) or judged by any court, for the length of his entire mandate.
Obviously, looking at all his pending trials, the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will be the one who’ll take more advantage of the future law.
What a shocking surprise.
He said “Either I work as prime minister or I dedicate my time preparing for court appearances. One cannot do both”.
Italy has a new Government, brand new Ministers ready to serve the national cause, the State and the Country. And thanks to the wiser and wiser statesman Silvio Berlusconi Italians witnessed Mara Carfagna’s appointment as the Minister for “Equal Rights”.
Equal rights, hmmm? No doubt, she is the right woman for the job. Yes, in February 2007 during the seminar “Woman, Life and Family” she stated that the State has no reason to recognize homosexual couples “since they are constitutionally sterile” and for those still unaware of this: “to love each other the essential requirement is being able to beget” (1). Pure wisdom isn’t it?
During an interview she described herself as an anti-feminist, as she believes that liberty depends not on independence and freedom but on rules, on discipline. In fact it is common knowledge that discipline plus rules equals liberty. (2)
Now who is that nut or fool who still thinks that, maybe, this nice and wise woman is not the rightest person to care about equal rights?
Well, well, well here in Italy we officially have a new Government. What a lucky Country! 21 ministers! It’s one of the scariest Governments we could have. Twenty one ministers and believe me it’s really, REALLY hard to decide who is the worst among them! A showgirl “minister for equal opportunities”, a man who states that he always has his rifles ready “minister for reforms”, a man who writes poems about the Prime Minister “minister for Arts”… and yes… The Prime Minister, a man who… well everybody knows what kind of “statesman” he is.
The show is going to start.
My sympathy with Italy. And for Italy.
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