Repubblica.it has published an interview with me to mark its tenth anniversary.

Repubblica.it: Minister Di Pietro, how did you get the idea of a blog?
ADP: The idea of a Blog came to me because I am convinced that it is a tool for direct communication, without intermediaries, between myself and the Italian citizens. And then it gives me the opportunity to receive advice, and even criticism, that is useful to me to improve my activity. Thus it is a form of transparency and a way of relating to the electorate.

Repubblica.it: And video?
ADP: Youtube is going in the same direction: with a film clip I can communicate with the citizens, in a direct way via the Internet. It's what is important for me. Even the film clip can be commented on publicly, by those who view it

Repubblica.it: Is the Internet a privileged place for politics?
ADP: Exactly. And then it is a bit like what happened with the TV last century. We need to keep in mind that in the United States, half the population has access to Broadband. In a few years the Internet will come into all homes.

Repubblica.it: When did you start to "frequent" the Web?
ADP: I started to use the Internet a few years ago to get information, a bit like everyone else. The main reason for my interest was that actually: to get news in real time and to be able to look at different sources at the same time.

Repubblica.it: Apart from your "institutional" blog, do you use the internet for personal reasons?
ADP: I use it above all for email. I receive a really high number of emails, mainly from private citizens. And I try to reply to all. The Internet is also a political laboratory. And this is important. And this is why I follow new phenomena of aggregation and of representation with great attention. To be precise, those that are often defined as "direct democracy". It is a new way for citizens to participate in political life. With the further possibility of controlling and directing the activity of those who have been elected.

Repubblica.it: In this sense, what comment can you make on the cover of Time magazine that is dedicated to the internet user as the "person of the year"?
ADP: Very positively. It means that people return to being the centre of information and of social processes. They become active participants and not just passive. It is a step forward for the actualization of democracy.