The Albano Law

July 15, 2008 · Filed Under Italian politics · Comment 

Before anyone shouts, I know it’s really the ‘AlFano Law’! If you are Italian, you might appreciate the allusion to Albano, who is a sort of a has-been, and rather sad, Italian singer who now only manages to get invitations to appear on dodgy TV shows such as ‘Island of the Famous’ or rather, ‘Island of Those Who Once Were Quite Famous, and Would Like to Be Again’.

Italian kids quite liked this show, whereas when I ended up seeing it one night, I ended up wondering how on earth such crap can be made. And they actually paid people to do it! At least it kept a few souls of the streets, I suppose.

Sorry, I digress. The Alfano Law, is you are not to up on what is going down in the Living Museum, is a new law, sort of camouflaged as judicial reform, but that is basically designed to help Italy’s colourful prime minister, Berlusconi from being put on trial while still holding the position of Italy’s most powerful politician. Read more

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Anti-Telephone Tapping Law Bugs Berlusconi

July 7, 2008 · Filed Under Italian news · Comment 

Despite Berlusconi’s somewhat indecent haste with regard to pushing through a new law which will just about ban telephone tapping by Italian law enforcement agencies, except in a limited number of cases, Italy’s occasionally publicity shy prime minister’s plans have been temporarily scuppered.

By whom? Actually by his very own government, which is pushing through so many laws at the moment, that Fini, the leader of the Italian house of commons, apparently told Mr B that there was little hope of pushing though the anti-bugging law before the Italian parliament’s summer recess.

Just to pour a little more salt on Berlusco’s already bleeding wounds, some mischievous type has placed what is claimed to be a fake telephone tapping transcript on the good old web.  This apparently defamatory text concerns a conversation which never took place between Berlusco and Mediaset president Fedele Confalonieri, according to Niccolo’ Ghedini, who is Mr B’s cabinet colleague and chief defence lawyer.

Actual details of the fake transcript are hard to come by alas, but I’m sure something will surface sooner or later.

Mediaset is, or rather was, one of Berlusconi’s companies.  Belusco relinquished control of Mediaset after becoming prime minister; at least on paper; after he was showered with allegations of conflicts of interest.

Political things in Italy are smouldering away, fuelled, no doubt, by the searing heat of the Italian summer. Talk about ’solar power’.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Antiberlusconism

June 30, 2008 · Filed Under Italians · Comment 

‘Antiberlusconism’ is a term which is being bandied around more and more at the moment in Italy. It is almost as if quite a few Italians are starting to feel sorry for Italy’s much persecuted prime ministerial billionaire.

Should the long of the law ever manage to catch up with Silvio, he’ll probably achieve a form of martyrdom. At least this is the impression I’m starting to get. One wonders whether Berlusconi bashing is destined to become something of a minority sport.

I suppose people are right to consign such a sordid activity to the annals of history, I mean, just what is wrong with a prime minister who passes legislation which conveniently blocks a case brought against him. And who cares if he ends all that pesky telephone tapping? What’s wrong with helping out your friends?

Let’s not forget that passing a law which guarantees immunity from prosecution while someone holds high public office, such as prime minister, is a pretty normal thing to do, especially when such person has such a squeaky clean slate. It’s just the sort of thing any of us would do if we had been voted into power, now isn’t it?

So the man is exerting just about total control over the country’s media. So what? Where’s the problem? This is all part of a normal democracy. As is putting the army on the streets to maintain law and order, when the law enforcement authorities have most probably had their resources cut back so much so as to avoid their interfering with cases that really are none of their business. Anyway, everyone who has anything to do with the law in Italy is a commie, as we all know.

When all’s said and done, Berlusconi is doing great things for the Living Museum. After all, at least his businesses, particularly the TV arms, produce wonderful programs such as Studio Aperto, and support top class journalists such as Emilio Fede. All those who work for Berlusconi businesses will keep paying their mortgages too, so everything is hunky dory.

Let’s have a ‘Be Nice to Berlusco’ week. I’m sure Beppe Grillo would be more than happy to take part. Di Pietro will be more than happy to join in too, and bake a big cake, as he is bound to accept that Italy simply does not need values. As for morals, such as honesty, well, Pope Benedict will take care of that side of things, as the RC crutch always has done. No worries.

Over to you my dear readers, tell me all those other nice things I can say about Italy’s beleaguered leader. Time to turn ‘antiberlusconism’ into ‘proberlusconism’. Once and for all.

Oh, and I’m now taking orders for all those ‘I Luv Berlusco’ badges which I’m having made. Let me know if you want one, or even two.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Next Page »