Federalism in Italy
‘Federalismo’ is a word being bandied around by Italy’s Berlusconi led government.
The subject of federalism in Italy is as controversial as the nationalist Lega Nord party led by Umberto Bossi.
What exactly is federalism in the context of Italy and how do Italians feel about it?
I will attempt to answer this question, but I am prepared to be corrected. Read more
Sleeping with the Enemy?
Italy’s two main political parties are often shortened by the media to the PD and the PDL. At times it is difficult to understand which political party is being referred to. Recently, things have become much more confusing.
At the best of times Italian politics is a confused muddled affair. Indeed, things are becoming so darned confused that the supposedly right wing likes of Umberto Bossi, the head of Italy’s radical Northern League party, plus party stalwart, and Italian minster for reform, Roberto Calderoli, participated in a rally organised in Florence by Bossi’s supposed political opponents - the PD. Doesn’t Mr Bossi lean towards Silvio Berlusconi’s bunch? Well, he still does, although after this news, one has no idea for how much longer. Or is something more sinister at work. Read more
Long Hot Summer
Yes, it’s going to be one long hot summer for Italy’s tanned prime minister. At the moment he’s trying to fend off an embarassingly official accusation deriving from the White House, of all places.
This accusation hints that Italy is a country infamous for corrupt government practices. Shock horror!
And that’s not all, according to an unofficial press kit distributed to journalists on Air Force One, Berlusco is also something of a political novice. This political novice, otherwise known as Silvio Berlusconi, continues the text of the press kit, only managed to become Italian prime minsiter thanks to his notable influence on Italy’s media.
This unbelievably frank assessment of Italy’s richest ever prime minister did not top there. Oh no. It went on to state that Berlusconi is hated by many! However, it’s not all negative, the kit does point out that Berlusco is respected for his ability to exploit ‘bella figura’ to good effect.
At least this is not a bad thing to say about Berlusconi the former puppet show promoter. Yes, the press briefing happens to mention that the tanned one used to make a few extra dollars by selling tickets to puppet shows he organised.
Italy’s biggest entrepreneur started off young, or so it would seem, and one doubts that the CIA have got their facts wrong. Other indications of budding entrepreneurial spirit highlighted in this gem of a text, which was taken from the recently updated ‘Encyclopedia of World Biography’, are that Berlusco sold vacuum cleaners and did writing tasks for his fellow students while he was at university. He charged a fee for this service, naturally.
This officially painted and not too flattering portrait of Silvio, has led to the eruption of a mini-storm between White House representatives and Berlusconi’s boys, as you might imagine. And all on the eve of the G8!
The White House has tried to wriggle out of this incident, but, one fears, the damage has already been done.
‘Et tu Brute?’, is probably how Berluco opened a telephone conversation between himself and Bush, one supposes!
Boy, would I loved to have tapped that call!
The question is: Will Mr B now bring a case for defamation against Bush? No chance! The case would have to be heard in the USA, and even Berlusco, powerful though he may be, would not be able to wield enough of his influence to have a case heard in the US of A watered down.
Maybe Berlusconi should spend this year’s long hot summer cooling down by the pool at his villa in Sardinia. He could even have Mara Carfagna over to help him make some policy decisions and decide how to tackle what could turn out to be a very long and cold winter.
Here is a link to the Encyclopedia of World Biography entry which has caused such a stink: Berlusconi, Silvio - click early - it won’t be there for long!
Anti-Telephone Tapping Law Bugs Berlusconi
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’.
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