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"Today an important decision was taken by the President of the Council. Having heard the opinion of the Council of Ministers, he gave the authority to the Minister of Justice to make sure that the reasons of the Italian State and of the Italian Magistracy are given value against the attempt by some members of the European Parliament to go against the decisions of our justice system.
What I am saying is delicate, but it is what is happening, when political battles are carried out on the head of the people with the laws being trodden underfoot, it can happen that two important institutions like the Italian State and the European Parliament come into conflict.
I’ll tell you the story.
Two years ago, there were the European elections and Italia dei Valori was one of the parties presented. We gained two seats. I was elected and I had to choose which area to opt for. I chose the South and the seat for the North went to Giulietto Chiesa.
As well as myself, Achille Occhetto was elected and at that time he was a member of the Upper House. The law does not allow you to sit in the European Parliament and in the Italian Parliament and obliges the interested person to opt for one of the two positions.
Occhetto chose the Italian Parliament.
After the last national elections, I too had to choose and I decided to leave the European Parliament. To whom should my seat go?
Occhetto put himself forward, forgetting that he had already decided differently. Another person had the right to come in in my place, Beniamino Donnici. An argument followed and this gave rise to a trial.
Now the trial has come to an end and what does everyone say? We must respect the decisions. The decision of the Council of State, in Italy, decided in favour of Donnici and Italia dei Valori, not Occhetto and the Cassation Court definitively confirmed the decision.
The Italian electoral office took note of the decision and Donnici took his place in the European Parliament last week.
Yesterday the Judicial Commission of the European Parliament, whose leader, notice, is the Honourable Gargani of Forza Italia, decides to not accept the credentials of Donnici saying that the electors chose Occhetto, thus treading on the decision of the Italian judges and the Italian Institutions.
Can you understand what an enormous problem has been created? There are two institutions in conflict.
A European body cannot annul the decision of a judge. The decisions are to be made by the Italian institutions.
If it were to happen it would be really serious because it could create a short circuit between two important institutions, the Italian State and the European Parliament.
And thus it is obvious that the President of the Council and the Minister of Justice have the duty to intervene with the European institutions to denounce that they are treading on the rights of a Member State because of a political battle.
In fact, this gentleman from Forza Italia has put the issue to the vote and do you know who voted with him? The DS, or rather that part of the Democratic Party that makes reference to the DS. Do you know who voted against? The Margherita.
The moral is: the technical rehearsal of common activity for the Democratic Party have seen the DS and Margherita. accusing each other, in particular the European Parliamentarians of the DS have made an agreement with Forza Italia to exclude Italia dei Valori in violation of the decision of the Italian judiciary and the sovereignty of the Italian State. The political fact is serious and very delicate.
I brought the issue to the Council of Ministers as the issue relates to the whole country, not my party.
After a full discussion, the President of the Council authorised Minister Mastella to claim the rights and the sovereignty of Italy.
By 10 May an official note must arrive at the European Parliament defending the rights of sovereignty, of jurisdiction, of the rights of Italy against the intrigues and the transversal agreements of politics that in certain cases, overturn the decisions of the judges, not for the good of justice but for the interests of the groups."