21 December 2007

Safety now!

Here is the text of an interview I gave the “Il Giornale” on Wednesday 19 December 2007.
Antonio Di Pietro: If it were up to me, I would get rid of that regulation, which is muddled and badly drafted, and simply carry on with the Decree.
Il Giornale: Why, in your opinion, was it necessary to forge ahead?
Antonio Di Pietro: In this Country, we need safety as much as we need bread and water and, as regards interventions, the need is even more urgent. That is why we have made provision by means of decree.
Il Giornale: But a split has occurred regarding the article on homophobia …
Antonio Di Pietro: For political reasons, which are by the way unacceptable. However, that article has nothing to do with safety, “non c’azzecca niente” as the old Di Pietro would have said. It is clearly being pushed by one part of the coalition, in order to infiltrate a different problem, relating to conscience and culture, into the issue of safety, which affects the Country as a whole.
Il Giornale: So you are against the withdrawal of the decree?
Antonio Di Pietro: I believe that it would be unseemly, untimely and nonsensical to give up on dealing with the issue of safety by decree. I believe that the government urgently needs to do two things: acknowledge that the regulation does nothing in terms of safety, and accept responsibility by not going on any Christmas Break, because there are still a number of working days left between Christmas and New Year to ensure that the decree is not allowed to expire. We should approach the Senate vote with dignity and heads held high, backing up against the wall anyone who intends to exploit their vote in order to achieve some something other than safety.
Il Giornale: Are you saying that Prodi should dig in his heels, remove that article and carry on?
Antonio Di Pietro: Definitely yes, because we still have a few days in hand, and the real reason why we are doing it is for fear that some hothead in the Senate will say “then I won’t vote for it”. But this is blackmail, political-ideological blackmail, by someone who is seeking to obtain some competitive advantage, notwithstanding the urgency of the need to address the safety issue.
Il Giornale: Off the record, how do you feel about the provision on homophobia?
Antonio Di Pietro: I believe that the principle, which states that there must be no discrimination, and that anyone who discriminates on the basis of race, religion or sexual orientation should be punished, is not only right, but is also contained in the declaration of human rights. However, that regulation, as it stands, is so ambiguous and broad that we may land up paradoxically punishing the priest who, in his sermon, urges his parishioners to behave in a certain way with regard to sex. Such a regulation should be drafted with a certain sense of responsibility, not by urgent decree, and must make a clear distinction between discriminatory acts, which should be severely punished, and mere opinions, which simply constitute part of our right to freedom of thought.
Il Giornale: Why is Prodi not prepared to risk it?
Antonio Di Pietro: How else could he answer me? Unfortunately, it is impossible for him to accept only my assessment alone. And I, according to the institutions, have learned that the rules of coalition impose a duty on members to take one step at a time. The problem is not the Prime Minister, but rather the irresponsibility of those who are constantly trying to profit from every situation. This, however, once again raises the age-old problem, namely, the ability of such a scanty majority to govern the Country. We of the “Italia dei Valori” Party say that it can be done, as long as there is some sense of belonging to a coalition. A sense of belonging that is, today, ever decreasing and becoming increasingly threadbare, revealing a situation where everyone behaves like rats abandoning a sinking ship in search of their own survival.



Today, Friday 21 December, at around 15h00, I will be appearing on my own Blog and on the Italia dei Valori website in live streaming. I will be discussing the year’s work, important upcoming appointments and the initiatives scheduled for 2008.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Justice