I’m publishing my response to Marco Travaglio’s letter called Quo vadis, Tonino'. After that I’ve added Marco’s reply. Both are published in today’s l'Unità.
Dear Travaglio
You column in today’s l'Unità, an article about myself entitled ‘Quo vadis, Tonino' has given me cause for reflection. I could support with a thousand reasons that are presumably good, the position taken by myself and Italia dei Valori in relation to our vote about the ‘Ponte sullo Stretto di Messina’ company (let it be clear, that not even I want this bridge nor is it being done) and also about the setting up of a Committee of Enquiry on the G8 in Genoa (that we support as long as judicial powers are not given to it, powers that should belong only to judges and as long as it is established that it deals not only with the misdeeds committed by the Police but also those committed by the ‘Blak Blocks’ and above all by their political backers). A Committee of Enquiry that you yourself count among those that you define “ …. Useless bodies, even damaging, since they have never been useful except for the production of majority or minority truths, that is party porkies, and that cloud the guilt of the enemies and exalt the merits of the friends and muddy the ideas even of those few people who think they have clear ideas…” (Mitrokin and Telecom Serbia docet!).
Presumably those who want to weigh up my good ideas can read them on my blog www.antoniodipietro.it.
But that’s not the point and you have rightly hit it (perhaps damaging my digestion but certainly opening my eyes for which I thank you): I and my party find ourselves in fact in the same position as the parties of Berlusconi and of Mastella.
I know in my heart that this is not what I wanted and that I want (and I ask the voters to pardon me for the embarrassment created) but – unfortunately – this is the message that has been transmitted and the blame, I have to admit, is not only due to the exploitation of others (that has happened and it’s happening now in abundance) but also to myself.
I have made a mistake in as much as I communicated badly and late what I believe to be “my good reasons”, perhaps mistaken but certainly in good faith.
Above all I made a mistake in not being able to find a political solution within the coalition in matters that – with dialogue and reciprocal understanding – could find a just solution (for example intervening in the drafting of the text of the law to set up the Committee of Enquiry so as to be sure that it didn’t just become a “trial” of the current judicial trials and so that precise markers and functional guarantees were in place).
It is also true that not even the “others” in the coalition have wanted to find a middle point but their error does not cancel out my own.
However one thing is certain, and for this I thank you for having pointed it out: as far as judicial politics is concerned, Italia dei Valori is doing its duty, and it’s true that we have finally succeeded to get the insertion of important regulations into the “security package”. Regulations like the restoration of the crime of false accounting and the elimination of the ex-Cirielli law on prescrizione {time limits for trials}.
I would like to continue in this direction and therefore I reply to your question “Quo vadis, Tonino?” in the only possible way: “I’m going straight ahead – from now on – with more attention to my travelling companions.”

Marco Travaglio’s response:

”It’s not every day that a Minister responds to the criticisms in a newspaper. And it hardly ever happens that he does so to say: “I made a mistake”. As a citizen I am grateful to him. As I believe are the readers and the voters as well.”