August 31, 2007

Council of Ministers: Budget and Infrastructure

Text:
After the summer holidays we need to get back to work. The work of the Council of Ministers and of CIPE has started a day early.
There was a lot of discussion about political issues and a little about administrative issues of limited importance.
On the political front, we have established a system for approving the budget by the end of the year. The budget is the occasion when we decide what to do with the money that comes into the State coffers.
From now to the end of September, thus, the Government will be busy deciding how to make use of the resources to make the Italians as happy as possible, especially those who have most need.
At the CIPE there was discussion only about the Ministry of Infrastructure investments. We presented 4 projects, all were approved, namely:
- The increase by a factor of 4 of the Verona – Fortezza railway line that will connect to Northern Europe. It’s a project costing 2,500,000,000 euro. We approved the project planning costs. I believe it is an important task and it is the best thing in the world to start a job with the “doing party”.
- In Umbria the Città di Castello – San Giustino Logistics Park at Città di Castello. There’s an industrial park that can work well if there are connections with the main systems of communication, especially the E45 and the railways. This project is an integrated communication system with the roads and the national railways.
- A section of the Naples metro.
- A section of the Milan metro, the first functioning stretch of the line 4.
In all, most of the 1,300,000,000 invested is to be spent on railways and metro. As Minister of Infrastructure I am proud, while in the newspaper there’s a continual discussion of everyday things and gossip. In silence I go on working for the interests of the country, week by week.
I hope that during the month of September, when the budget is discussed, the other partners of the coalition will commit to supporting constructive proposals. I’m sure that in this way, the citizens will find a bit of trust in those who, instead of being destructive, are working in the interests of everyone on the infrastructure, on solidarity, on development and on rigour.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Information
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August 29, 2007

September 8: Clean Up Parliament

There’s a strange silence in the media, but perhaps not quite so strange, in regard to the collection of signatures for the popular initiative draft law that will take place throughout Italy on 8 September, the day that has been renamed V-Day and organised by Beppe Grillo. The popular law called “Clean up Parliament” has three points: the ineligibility of those who have been convicted to have a seat in Parliament; the impossibility of being elected for more than 2 terms of office, the direct election of candidates by the citizens.
Italia dei Valori has presented a parliamentary draft law with these same points and will support the V-Day initiative.
On 8 September I will sign for a “Clean Parliament” and I invite Italia dei Valori male and female voters to do so as well as every Italian citizen who wants to be represented by openly honest people
170,000 people have already joined up, among these there are groups from 120 Italian cities and 20 cities in the world who will take part in the event, but no newspaper or television has reported the news, except in a marginal way. It’s a further sign of the separateness of politics and information from civil society. There’s a preference to talk about the self-candidacy of this or that person and avoiding a true confrontation with the citizens.
Once more I invite you to participate by looking at the map (click here) to find your own city.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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August 28, 2007

Fairness in the tax system

In the next few weeks, discussions about the details of the budget will start.
I think the topics to be discussed are clear: reducing the public debt, consolidating iinvestments in infrastructure and lowering the tax burden, together with a determined fight against the tax dodgers.

As a Minister of this Government and as a representative of Italia dei Valori I will ask the executive and Parliament to make a central part of the 2008 budget the reduction of the tax revenue as percentage of GDP, an objective that is possible if we continue the fight against tax dodging. Continuing with decisions in this direction, it will be possible to reduce taxes for tax payers.

We need to be sure that everyone pays so that everyone can pay less. This must be our main commitment. At the same time, some of the resources must be used to reduce the public debt and for investments to support development. To reduce the debt also means cutting spending on interest payments, which is particularly important at a time of increasing rates. This will thus free up resources to be used for investment. In particular infrastructure investments must not only be seen as a cost, but as a productive commitment that can give rise to a reservoir of resources and create better conditions for the economic development of the country.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Economy
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August 26, 2007

Bossi’s rifles

Umberto Bossi’s call to arms aimed at the people of Lombardy who are tired of paying taxes is not acceptable, but this is an opinion that can be taken for granted. There will be the usual uproar and then after that the rifles will be used just for going hunting.
What is worrying is that statements that are obviously against the law are considered just common occurrences, accepted and commented upon as a fact, and that those who represent the citizens, on the right as on the left, can do this even without risking a fine. It is a signal of the disintegration of the State.
The federalist episodes, like the requests by the towns to transfer to the Autonomous regions, to the Aosta Valley to Trentino, are symptoms that require careful attention, symptoms of separateness from the State that is seen just as a tax collector. The centrifugal forces that exist also in the South, can no longer be underestimated.
The answer is not a return to small States and tiny States, nor is maintaining the status quo. The State must become lighter, as regards structures, costs, organisations; it’s necessary to go from a phase of talking about federalism to a real phase of allocating competencies to the territory; the wealth produced must remain as far as possible with the ones that produce it. These steps are necessary so that Bossi’s declarations become a pistol loaded with blanks. To dodge this could turn out to be very costly to the State and to the Italians.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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August 24, 2007

Safe Schools

Today I signed an interministerial decree that puts into operation the first abridged version of the Extraordinary Plan for making safe the scholastic buildings. The sum of 215 million euro has been released and the relevant towns and cities can ask for loans for 800 interventions to restructure the scholastic buildings in their territory.

The loans will be made available to the local authorities by the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti once the decree has been recorded. It has also been signed by the Minister of the Economy and Finance. The finance will get to the coffers of the towns and cities by the end of the year. In this period, together with the relevant Regions, I will sign the programme agreements relating to the Extraordinary Plan.
Once the summer break has finished, I am keen to do something concrete to give the schools of our country structures that are adequate and safe to avoid tragic episodes like we have seen in the past.

Even in this case, as has already happened for the housing policies, detailed work has been carried out, and there has been the release of funds that had been blocked in the accounts of the Ministry. This will make available resources to the local authorities for interventions like safety measures, consolidating and adjusting the structures, adaptations for seismic regulations, knocking down architectural barriers, restructuring and carrying out extraordinary maintenance in hundreds of school buildings throughout the whole country.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Society
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August 23, 2007

Trials out in the open air

At Garlasco a young woman has been murdered. This episode of criminal news has been transformed into a reality show. The fiancé has been warned that action may be taken against him and people close to the family have been interrogated. This is normal procedure for a murder.

The disproportionate media coverage given to the event and that has already divided the Italians into those who have come down on the side of “innocent” and those on the side of “guilty” is completely misplaced. The investigations are no longer being carried out by the prosecution but by the journalists on a basis that is unfounded and based on inference.
It’s understandable that even in August they have to write something, from the analysis of well known singers on Veltroni’s programme to the birth of virtual parties of the centre right. However, it is not acceptable that conclusions of the investigation are being revealed before the investigators have made their pronouncements. There’s much talk of privacy and then the monster is plastered over the front page to sell more copies and to create an audience.
Three families: the family of the girl who’s been killed, of her cousins, and of the fiancé have all been brought out into the open and treated like butcher’s meat.

I don’t believe that this is journalism and that the investigations are getting any advantage from this.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Information
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August 21, 2007

IDV at the demonstration against the 'Ndrangheta on 28 August

www.ammazzatecitutti.org

The ‘Ndrangheta, like all organised crime, is fought with concrete facts and coherent public positions.
This is why Italia dei Valori, with its local and national structures, is confirming that it will be present at the forthcoming 28 August demonstration in Calabria. A presence to reaffirm the wish for concrete action against a phenomenon that is expanding and whose ramifications of criminal activity are getting more extensive.
As the Minister responsible for the application of the “codice degli appalti” {public tendering procedures},in the next corrective decree, I will present the regulation that lays down a single tendering unit in each region. A structure to give transparency and the control of public tenders and the mafia infiltration that tend to get inside, thus causing serious repercussions for the public economy and for private business.
I hope that the political forces that today say they agree with the words, really show coherency when it comes to the deeds and that they approve my proposal.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Justice
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August 19, 2007

The precarious workers and law number 30

This autumn there will be demonstrations for and against the law number 30, relating to employment. The current labour laws have been proposed by governments and approved by Parliament, and discussed with Trades Unions. To refer to them with the name of a person I believe to be fundamentally incorrect and an abuse. Everyone wanted the labour laws, or almost everyone. The problem we should ask is not whether or not to demonize law number 30 or who wants to repeal them or discuss the Red Brigades. The problem is whether or not the labour laws function and whether they can be improved. In Italy, there are 5 and a half million precarious workers. What future can they have? How much are they paid? How many days a year do they work? What protection do they have? For how long are they living in a precarious situation? Have they got the possibility to create a family? Can they get a mortgage for their home?
These are the questions to which we must give a response.
Most of the precarious workers are young. Thus they represent the future of Italy. The idea that full employment has been reached that is used to avoid discussing the current laws, reminds me of statistics about Italians who all ate half a chicken. In reality some ate a whole one and others ate none. Today many have a full time job, others work just for a few months a year, often underpaid. We must start again to discuss, and very soon, the quality of work and the guarantees for the workers. We cannot leave 5 and a half million precarious workers with little protection and without political representation and thus consign them to the extreme left or to anti-politics.
We need to go beyond law number 30 without demonizing it.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Work
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August 18, 2007

No dialogue with terrorists

I’m publishing an interview about Hamas that I gave to il Corriere della Sera.

CdS: Minister, why are words about Hamas "ill-timed"?
ADP: Substantially correct but "ill-timed" in time and form. Today, whether we like it or not, Hamas is a force that has as an objective the destruction of the State of Israel. Using terrorism. There’s no dialogue with those who have not abandoned terrorism and still do not recognise Israel. I’d say more...
CdS: What more can you say about the people of Hamas?
ADP: That to talk to us they should disband. A terrorist is a terrorist. It’s not that now we open up to dialogue, we see where he goes and if it happens…. This is why I think the declarations of the President of the Council are correct, with the spirit expressed to be hoped for, but ill-timed. I’m sorry to say this as I’m part of the government. His words are inopportune because they do not calm down the situation. The wish is good, to go beyond the wish risks isolating us. The politics of loving everybody, in the event of war, is great in TV films. Not in reality.
CdS: What does Italy get out of taking a position like that?
ADP: It weakens our country. The more we wink at that world and the more we distance ourselves from the dangers of being blackmailed, however it’s a crafty formula. Because the problem is not resolved: badness must be eliminated.
CdS: According to the government, what is Hamas? A “popular group that won the election” or “protagonists of acts of terrorism”, as they are defined by D'Alema? A group that needs to be helped to evolve, as stated by Prodi, or one towards which it is useless approaching as the DS secretary, Fassino, maintains?
ADP: Even Hitler and Mussolini won elections. These declarations are ways of clutching at straws in relation to a left-wing formation in relation to which the Left has never had the courage to seriously separate themselves from. In the last 15 years, the left has always done lib-lab with this political grouping.
CdS: Lib-lab, Minister, in what way?
ADP: How many left wing leaders in the last 10-15 years have been to visit them… I have found myself in Centre Left demonstrations with flags which I would have set on fire… Or, I wouldn’t have set on fire, I would have dissociated myself from. The Palestinian people are to be helped, provided with golden bridges. However, when the Red Brigades were in Italy, it’s not as though Italians were Red Brigades. But I have to stay silent because in my coalition there are parties who have taken segments from these organisations.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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August 15, 2007

The Duisburg slaughter

photo from Repubblica.it
The slaughter of 6 Italians in Duisburg in Germany is really serious in itself and it is for the image it gives of our country.
As a lad, I worked in Germany in a saw mill. And I know well the sacrifices that our nationals make and also, unfortunately the labels that are plastered on them. One of these is mafia. Organised crime has become ever stronger in our country. Even in Parliament there are people who have been shown to have mafia connections. Abroad, people know this and they judge us accordingly.
Whole regions of Italy are subject to the blackmail of organised crime and often the boundary between what is legal and what is illegal tends to disappear. The mafia has an international breathing space and this is known to everyone. They are a multinationals and they have turnovers that are more than certain States. Duisburg is a signal of the contagion, of the spread of organised crime made in Italy in Europe.
Among all the priorities of this Government, and there are so many of them thanks to the Berlusconi Government that preceded it, the fight against organised crime must become the top priority. Today it seems to me that it is undervalued for its effects at economic, social and political levels.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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August 14, 2007

The Romani Problem

photo by Stampa.it
The case of the four children who burned to death has opened up a discussion about the Romani community in Italy.
The tragedy was largely to be expected. I believe that it is clear to everyone how these people live: in hygiene conditions of the third world, in tumble-down sheds, under the flyovers, with abusive attachments to the utilities, outside any type of law. The Romanies arrive in Italy without a job, without a house, without knowing our language. Do we want to welcome them? Are we able to welcome them? Do we have enough resources and above all, is this what the Italian citizens want? Only if there is a positive response to this question can the flow of nomads into our country continue and can we allow those who have already arrived to stay. Otherwise we are being the usual do-gooders at the expense of others.
If the law were to be applied, the thousands of Romani children who ask for money at every street corner or who are stealing, should be taken into care by the authorities, and parental rights of their parents should be denied them. If the law were to be applied there would be a rapid return to their homeland of thousands of Roma.
The problem cannot be tackled with the ostrich policy, just allowing the tensions and the problems to fall on Italian citizens. In this case, my position is closer to that of the mayors than to that of certain people in the Government.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Society
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August 13, 2007

Easy Prison Releases

I’m publishing part of the interview given to la Repubblica on the easy prison releases.
ADP: Let’s have no more politicians asking for zero tolerance and checks on the magistrates that apply the law. Let them change the laws rather than asking for inspections..
R: But Di Pietro excuse me, what is it that you yourself are saying?
ADP: I repeat. Let’s have no more politicians asking for zero tolerance on every occasion but in reality they are doing this just to make a good impression in the newspapers given that in Parliament do they don’t then act consistently.
R: And who are they?
ADP: No names, I would have to give all of them or almost all. Because hundreds of deputies and even ministers who asked for rigour, a firm hand and then nothing.
R: For example?
ADP: All those who signed for the pardon, just as a recent example.
R: But now they are talking of magistrates who have freed fire setters and drunken car drivers.
ADP: Everyone is well able to criticise and say that certain things are not right. In reality each of has their own competencies.
R: So different competencies?
ADP: The question is this: if a magistrate has freed an arsonist or someone responsible for culpable homicide it’s not the fault o fthe magistrate but of the regulations that allow it.
R: The laws need changing?
ADP: Exactly.
R: And how?
ADP: Zero tolerance should be included in the laws and don’t ask the magistrates to do what they cannot do if the law doesn’t allow it. They can’t just invent it.
R: What do you suggest?
ADP: In this case the arrest and preventive detention in prison for those who are found to be driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
R: Anyway?
ADP: To give a greater sense of respecting the law it would be necessary to it would be enough to have preventive detention according to the seriousness of the actions and that’s it.
R: Why, what is it like now?
ADP: Now there is preventive detention only if there is a social danger or the possibility of the crime being committed again or the of flight.
R: How’s that?
ADP: A husband who kills his wife and goes to give himself up doesn’t get put in prison because he hasn’t escaped and since the woman is dead, he cannot repeat the crime.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Justice
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August 10, 2007

The Centre

Since the beginning of this parliament, thus for over a year, the main theme of political discussion has been the movement towards the centre. The Democratic Party is going in this direction, the current discussions between the small legacy parties of the Christian Democrats are an example as is the much-talked about, and not completely forgotten coalition of the centre parties of the government and the opposition, on a German model.
It seems as though the word “centre” is a magic word that resolves the social and political problems of the country, together with those of the parties. Nothing is more false. The risk is to avoid the real problems and not face up to them. A Centre government, whatever this term means, is not of itself, good or bad. The party programme and above all its real application, almost always ignored, is what makes the difference. There’s little discussion of the programmes and any discussion is without conviction. There are general declarations, understandings, and expressions of a wish to change, but little or nothing of concrete facts. Citizens pick this up and they drift away from politics, lived as though it were a structured cost without advantages.
Italia dei Valori wants to withdraw from the logic of electoral line ups, set up to perpetuate permanency in power. It has shown this by its support for the referendum, with its denunciation of the pardon, with the amendments to the law on telephone intercepts. It has taken the side, and it will always take the side of the citizens, on facts, on the real needs of the country. It’s the needs of the citizens that dictate priorities, not the system of party alliances.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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August 08, 2007

Fires and public order

photo ansa.it
Fires in the South of Italy are the work of organised crime. There are exceptions but they are completely marginal. Thus fires are a problem of public order, even before investing in prevention.
It’s necessary to blow out the match before the fire starts and to imprison the one holding the match.
After the deaths in Peschici in Puglia, of the Canadair pilot and of the 20 year old in the Sila trying to put out a blaze, yesterday in Campania they shot at a fire-fighting helicopter carrying water and they sabotaged a radio bridge operated by the Region.
Really we are in the far west or worse. The State must protect the citizens and ensure it is respected. It’s not possible to concede a sort of extra-territoriality with regard to the law to an unfortunately consistent part of the country. As regards public order, this government risks being remembered just for the pardon, and for freeing thousands of criminals, unless it does a rapid about-turn and protects the territory and the citizens with a rigorous and undiscounted application of the law and with control of the areas at risk and sending in the army.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Information
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August 05, 2007

Internet and Free Information

I have received numerous letters, many of which are from abroad, in support of the reopening of Piero Ricca’s blog, that was blocked following a libel action by Emilio Fede. If there is the principle by which it is possible to forbid the use of a blog for a libel action, still to be verified in court, then any blog in Italy could be the subject of closure. And this is very serious. The same principle for Rete 4 means it would be enough for a libel action by a citizen to block its broadcasting. I think it is the right moment to have an in-depth reflection on the freedom of information on the Internet at a political level. While I’m writing this, Piero Ricca’s blog has been reopened after almost a month. I hope that in the future, this closure remains an isolated case.

“Dear Honourable Di Pietro,
Since 10 July, Piero Ricca has not been able to update his blog with independent information (http://www.pieroricca.org/2007/04/). It was blocked by the Finance Police on the instructions of the Rome Prosecutor, following a libel action brought by Emilio Fede.
According to me, the measure is in violation of article 21 of the Italian Constitution and article 19 of the Declaration of Human Rights.
It’s not possible to block a Blog for an article (even if it might be defamatory and that is being considered in a court case) just as you wouldn’t stop the publication of a newspaper for something similar or black out a whole TV channel for a programme. But this is exactly what has happened and it is a scandal.
The correct procedure would have been to delete the article in question together with its comments and to invite Piero Ricca not to comment on the affair as long as the libel proceedings are going on, but not to block the whole site. As they say in these parts, this is "common sense".
The question that I’m asking myself as a citizen is this: are the magistrates and the financiers dealing with this substantially “ignorant” of the dynamic structures of the Internet, or is there something that is more serious and more dangerous like the negation of democratic principles, derived from external pressures, on the freedom of expression? As one who has voted for you I thus ask you to promote a parliamentary initiative to protect the freedom of expression on the Internet that it is well known, is very important to you.
Sincerely."
Graziano Milano in London

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Information
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August 01, 2007

Geronzi: a step back

photo corriere.it
What can’t have escaped anyone’s notice is the different political and media weight given to two facts.
The first is the intercepts of 6 parliamentarians for which the authorisation to use them in judicial proceedings was asked by Clementina Forleo, that has been on the front pages of the newspapers and the TV News services for some weeks.
The second, the order to Cesare Geronzi to stand trial for the Parmalat crack, has been ignored by national media, by the parties, but however it has been reported in the international financial press.
It is worth remembering that Cesare Geronzi has also been convicted at the first level and sentenced to a year and 8 months for preferential bankruptcy with Italcase. Cesare Geronzi is currently the President of Capitalia and President of the Supervisory Council of Mediobanca. A position of great power and responsibility. A role on which depends the equilibrium of Italian finance. I don’t believe that politics can pretend nothing has happened and look the other way. I can’t believe that the media can minimize, as is happening now for motives that I don’t know, but that are probably hiding connections between the banker, certain parties and certain publishers.
We take it out on politicians whose possible guilt is still to be proved, for whom it is however correct to ask for authorisation to use the intercepts, and we are ignoring another fact that is a lot more serious.
Cesare Geronzi must take a step back while waiting for the final verdict. He must do this for the international reputation of Italian finance, and out of respect for public opinion.

Postato da Antonio Di Pietro in Economy
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