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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.
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”.
Tomorrow is the thirtieth anniversary of Giuseppe -Peppino- Impastato’s death. A young man and a journalist who believed in justice and freedom of speech as weapons for a social change.
He is one of the names in the list of innocent victims of Mafia, a sadly long list that reminds the whole Italy and the State that they also have a part of responsibility in these murders.
A Country divided in half, where Centre and North wrongly think that mafia and all its regional relatives are just a South Italy problem, a State that too often forgets about organized crime and a public opinion that closes its eyes in front of reality, this is Italy.
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