14 May 2008

Silvio Berlusconi’s speech

The speech of Silvio Berlusconi, the President of the Council to Parliament to ask for their trust in his government, in a pure “papist” and pseudo-moralistic style, reminds me of the fable of the spider that invites the fly into his web. I don’t know whether the Democratic Party will be a fool and fall in but it is certain that we of Italia dei Valori will not do so.

He has described the country of dreams and toy people that he would like to see, but he has not given an indication of how he is going to do that. His speech – full of “but also” seemed to be just an exercise of balance to fit everything as well as its contrary, in the hope of ingratiating himself with the majority and the opposition. North and South, workers and employers, entrepreneurs and Trades Unions, vulnerable social groups and strong ones, pacifists and warmongers, rigourists and wasters.

He says he wants dialogue with a single voice: his own! And that anyone who doesn’t think like him: “let him be struck down by the plague”: is just an indifferent, an advocate of violence, a populist, basically a person that disturbs the manoevres, to be isolated and condemned.

To get an idea, just read over his speech, full not of proposals for government but of “glaring omissions” on key questions, like the relaunch of the fight against tax evasion, the possibility for the justice system to function, the transparency of markets, the plurality of information, the fight against the “Caste”, the waste in the public administration, the slowness and the confusion of bureaucracy, the issue of the RAI as a public service, the scandalous affair Europa7-Rete4 and the associated respect for the directives and the verdict against the controlling bodies.

In his speech, Berlusconi placed the accent on the verb, “to grow”. He should have used the verb “to change”. Without change, growth cannot happen. The right verb is “change”.

To start again, it’s necessary to eliminate at the roots the causes that are blocking the country right now. Among these are the lack of the freedom of information, the widespread existence of organised crime, and the lack of the certainty of being punished.

Economics and ethics are two sides of the same coin. A strong economy cannot be separated from the “ethics of behaviour” and this is not the case in Italy with “ad personam” laws, with elected convicts in Parliament as the precise choice of the leader of the PDL.

A country that wants to attract foreign investments cannot allow itself to have shadows on those who have the primary responsibility in the banking system, as in the case of Cesare Geronzi.

Freedom of information is the basis of democracy. The recent verdict of the European Court of Justice says that Rete 4, owned by the President of the Council, must give up its frequencies to Europa 7, otherwise Italian citizens will pay, retroactively from 1 January 2006, each day, the sum of 300,000 euro in fines.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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11 May 2008

Schifani Renato Giuseppe

Herewith is the "identity card" of the current Leader of the Senate, as drawn from "If you know them, then you avoid them", the book published by Chiarelettere and written by Peter Gomez and Marco Travaglio.
Schifani Renato Giuseppe (FI)
Registry: Born in Palermo on 11 May 1950.
Curriculum: Degree in Law; attorney; FI Group Leader in the Senate since 2001; 3 legislatures (1996, 2001, 2006).
Particular achievements: Bearing his name, as well as that of the Ulivo’s senator, Antonio Maccanico, is the law passed in June 2003 aimed at blocking the prosecution of Silvio Berlusconi: the Maccanico-Schifani law was promulgated with the excuse of needing to make the “top five government representatives” immune from prosecution (although the other four incumbents were not affected by any form of legal prosecution at the time). The legislation was however declared to be unconstitutional in the sitting of 13 January 2004. The former Minister of Justice, Palermo native Filippo Mancuso, defined Schifani as "the Prince of the credit recovery Court", even though it appears that, in the past, Schifani was mostly involved as a specialist in matters concerning urban planning. During the Eighties he was a partner in the Villabate company, together with Enrico La Loggia, Nino Mandalà, who was later sentenced to 8 years imprisonment for dealing with the mafia and another 4 for improper allocation of assets, as well as businessman Benny D'Agostino, who was later sentenced for third party involvement in dealings with the mafia. According to reformed offender Francesco Campanella, during the Nineties:
the Villabate urban planning scheme, which was the basic planning tool as regards the planned shopping mall and which involved the interests of certain mafia members and politicians, was apparently agreed by Antonio Mandalà and La Loggia. The operation appears to have envisaged the commissioning of one of their own trusted planners, namely engineer Guzzardo, and an appointment as the Mayor’s urban planning expert. In exchange, La Loggia, Schifani and Guzzardo were to have shared out the planning and consultancy fees amongst themselves. The Villabate urban planning scheme was then drawn up according to instructions provided by the very same Antonino and Nicola Mandalà [Antonino’s son who, for a couple of years, handled the movements and period in hiding of Bernardo Provenzano, ed.], on the basis of the instructions received from the mafia family members and in terms of the agreed bribes.
Schifani, who was in fact an urban planning consultant for the Villabate Municipality, and La Loggia had stated that they would be taking legal action against Campanella.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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10 May 2008

Respect for the voters

Here is one of my interviews, as printed in today’s edition of La Repubblica, regarding the current situation regarding politics within the opposition.

Antonio Di Pietro: The pact with the Democratic Party? It will only be broken if they throw us out. Not on the basis of the shadow government or the chairmanship of the RAI Vigilance Committee. All we are hearing are provocative statements. I am asking myself whether Veltroni is wanting to head up only the Democratic Party or the coalition as a whole because, if this is so, the Italia dei valori party is strong enough to go it alone.

Repubblica: Marco Follini says: Di Pietro out of the alliance, the Udc in.
Antonio Di Pietro: Let’s put it this way, today is the day that the Berlusconi government has been sworn in and we of the Italia dei valori party are concerned about this, above all else. We are saying that the new executive clearly displays the personal touch of the premier himself, above all in the certain important areas such as Communications, which does not even have its own Ministry, and Justice, which has been entrusted to one of the Cavaliere’s closest allies, whose Curriculum Vitae contains little else in his favour. We will refrain from commenting any further, however, as regards certain other issues, we will not allow ourselves to be overcome by any preconceptions.

Repubblica: Are you saying that you will be voting with the Government in certain cases?
Antonio Di Pietro: If they are able to find the necessary resources in order to eliminate Local Property Taxes or to increase salaries, to name but two examples, then we will most certainly support them.

Repubblica: We were talking about Follini.
Antonio Di Pietro: Every day we read certain provocations, which we refuse to dignify with any response. We made a deal with the voters, more so than with the Democratic Party. There is a leader of the coalition, which we acknowledge, however, should he persist in considering only his own party, then he must accept accountability for these actions.

Repubblica: But was it not precisely you that broke the pact by refusing to be part of a united group in Parliament?
Antonio Di Pietro: They make the rules and we, who obtained 43 seats in Parliament, cannot be independent? Please let’s be serious... And furthermore, every step in the process regarding the groups was discussed and agreed with the Democratic Party.

Repubblica: And yet you have not been consulted as regards the shadow government, nor as regards the chairmanship of the RAI Vigilance Committee, something that is very close to your heart.
Antonio Di Pietro: We are waiting for some sign, a signal of some sort. However, we are not about to break our alliance with them, even should we be left out in the cold. We have the strength to go it alone, this is true, but we are not prepared to betray the voters. Our commitment to them remains unchanged. I am sorry if this upsets anyone who was expecting some sort of retribution against the Democratic Party.

Repubblica: So, does this mean that you are giving up the fight?
Antonio Di Pietro: Absolutely not.

Repubblica: How should the RAI Vigilance Committee be managed?
Antonio Di Pietro: Certainly not along the lines of the Petruccioli model. We have already given enough as regards the “buddy-boy” decisions that were made in the past, which left us with an information system that is skewed and with ongoing conflicts of interest. Guarantees do not imply “a piece for me and one for you”, but rather they involve complying with European Laws. We refuse to stand idly by in this regard and, in early June, we will be going to the Euro Parliament to lodge a complaint regarding the Italian regulations. We certainly cannot realistically expect Gasparri himself to resolve the problems of the Gasparri Law...

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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7 May 2008

Open letter to Romano Prodi and Paolo Gentiloni

I’m publishing a letter signed by the senators and deputies of Italia dei Valori and addressed to the President of the Council, Romano Prodi, and the Minister of Communications, Paolo Gentiloni with a copy sent to the President of the Democratic Party, Walter Veltroni, about the issue of Europa 7 and the use of the State Advocacy Service that was done during the time of the Prodi government.

”Dear President and Honoured Friends and Colleagues,
On 31 January 2008, the European Court of Justice gave its decision in the case that saw the private broadcaster Europa 7 against the Ministry of Communications. It found against the Italian system of assigning frequencies for the activity of TV broadcasting.

According to the Luxembourg Court the system for assigning frequencies in Italy does not respect the principle of the freedom of providing services and it does not follow objective selection criteria that are transparent, non-discriminatory and proportional.

Already in November 2002, the Constitutional Court, with verdict number 466, established that Retequattro had to definitively stop terrestrial broadcasting by 31 December 2003.

The verdict 466/2002 of the Constitutional Court has been repeatedly not observed, first with the “saveRete4” law of 24 December 2003, and then with the approval in 2004 of the Gasparri law and finally, during the XV legislature with the failure to approve a law that affirms the pluralism of information in Italy.

Today we have learned that the State Advocacy Service, during the time of the Prodi government, has maintained the same line of conduct that was held during the previous term of the Berlusconi government, in fact expressing itself to be in favour of an advantage to the Mediaset channels, and thus in violation of the principles of freedom of competition and the pluralism of information.

Continue reading “Open letter to Romano Prodi and Paolo Gentiloni"

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21 April 2008

Sweet Dictatorship

I’m publishing an interview with il Corriere della Sera about the current situation in our country.

Antonio Di Pietro: They said that it was necessary to get rid of the so-called justice-alists from the institutions and now instead Berlusconi is instrumentally relaunching the topic of security. With the complicity of the information system, that is not letting the citizens know the truth.
Cds: And what is the truth?
Antonio Di Pietro: That is was “il Cavaliere” {Berlusconi} himself who created insecurity from 2001 to 2006. For the Italians, the separation of the careers is not important, they are asking for more police on the streets, for the immediate repatriation of clandaestines, the harshening of penalties for crimes against children and women.
Cds: While you are publicising your programme, the PDL is accusing Rome’s former Mayor.
Antonio Di Pietro: Veltroni will not find me as a critical colleague. He has been a good Mayor for his city and a courageous reformer for the coalition. We are the party of action, the PDL is the party of words. It’s necessary to reduce from two to three the levels of justice and to create a one-line law to put a criminal sentence into action straight after the first level of justice for the most serious crimes.
Cds: Give advice to Berlusconi, now that you are in opposition.
Antonio Di Pietro: I’m not going to give up my battles just for this. With his conflict of interests, the global control of information and his idea of justice, Berlusconi is a danger. His return is the advent of the Sweet Dictatorship. He wants to reform the law on the “par condicio” and to have a show down with the magistracy. His politics is based on arbitrary opinion. By calling Mangano a hero, he has re-evaluated the mafia class. It’s up to us to open the eyes of the citizens.
Cds: Even if Veltroni were to decide to have a dialogue with Berlusconi on the reforms?
Antonio Di Pietro: We will never be able to offer our trust to the Berlusconi government. He has already twice said that he was having a dialogue on the reforms, and he got his hands dirty. If the magistracy does not tow the line, will he cart them off to the psychiatrist? Well, for me, that’s where the dialogue has stopped.
Cds: It is said that you don’t want to form a single Parliamentary group with the PD because on its own, the IdV gets an extra 5 million in expenses.
Antonio Di Pietro: That is discrediting and limiting. The money doesn’t go to us but to the activity of the group. I have said that we are ready to unite in Parliament on the basis of the programme; however an annexation does not benefit Veltroni. The truth is that there is a part of the PD that sees as a liberation, the possibility that the single Parliamentary group is not formed.
Cds: Marini? D'Alema? Parisi?
Antonio Di Pietro: I see two spirits, one isolationist and the other open to a new alliance. We are willing to construct this straight away with a journey of formation that could end with a single Parliamentary group, however they mustn’t close the doors on us. If the group is not created straight away because they need time to get their ideas clear, we will give them the time needed, but however they must give us the roles that are due in the shadow government and in parliament.
Cds: Minister, which posts and how many?
Antonio Di Pietro: If Veltroni intends to give us a corner in a box, of the type that is “use once and throw away”, then he is being disrespectful to all those Italians who have seen in IdV the possibility of a redemption. To isolate us would be a serious error, as has been the ostracism during the election campaign.
Cds: Veltroni said that he didn’t think the Ministry of Justice would be good for you. Do you hope to have that role at least in the shadow government?
Antonio Di Pietro: From the positions assigned to us we will understand what sort of dialogue Veltroni wants to have with us. There are roles due to the opposition, starting with the presidency of the institutions of surveillance.
Cds: Are you willing to be allied to the UDC as D'Alema would like?
Antonio Di Pietro: If Casini signs up to a formal commitment not to put forward convicts as candidates, then yes. The alliance needs to broaden to include the moderates and the Catholics or we have lost from the start.
Cds: Is the IdV like the League for the PD?
Antonio Di Pietro: With all respect for the voters of the League, Bossi’s party is a civic list that simply puts forward the interests of a territory. We however have our roots going from Mondovì to Canicattì».
Cds: And Montezemolo’s attack on the Trades Union?
Antonio Di Pietro: You can understand the diagnosis. The working man doesn’t feel represented by this Trades Union management class. But it’s one thing to take a sick person to hospital and it’s another to leave him in the hands of Dracula for treatment.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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18 April 2008

The Autonomy of Italia dei Valori

I’m publishing a brief sound interview that I gave yesterday about the current situation of Italia dei Valori in relation to the Democratic Party.
” Italia dei Valori is a party that stays a party. In November there will be elections. Before next year’s European elections, there will be other local elections and possibly even in Lombardy. Thus, our party exists. It will get even stronger and it will be ever more present to represent all that sector of the electorate that today can find us to be their representatives.
The united group is the fruit of a convergence about content. In view of the positions taken that distinguish them from the wish to recognise Italia dei Valori, with whom the alliance was made, today I read a declaration from Caldarola who said: “We will leave the party if a role is given to Italia dei Valori and to Di Pietro.” I would like to say that I don’t want anyone to leave the Democratic Party. We have noted that the leader of the Democratic Party is Walter Veltroni, whom we recognise as the leader of the coalition, just as we have indicated before the elections and whom we want to help take forward the programme that we have shared and signed up to.
Now we want to know, exactly because we have seen hesitations during the election campaign, what is the programme in relation to justice that this unified group wants to move forward, because if it is true that Veltroni wants to have a shadow government, and if it is true that we have learned this from the newspapers, it is necessary in a coalition, that such important things are no longer to be learned from the newspapers, but they are to be understood and shared together. Above all, it is necessary to know who has to deal with what in this coalition and above all, in this shadow government. That is, I would like to understand if the issues about information relating to this unified group are taken on as spokesperson, for example by Follini or by Giulietti, because in the choice of these people, it’s possible to identify the model that is to be adopted. I would like to understand if, in this shadow government, the Ministry of Justice has to be one or the other because during the election campaign, from certain people we heard that Italia dei Valori did not have the right to deal with justice.
For these reasons we are asking for a meeting with the Democratic Party and with Veltroni. I’m not saying with Veltroni alone but Veltroni and the Democratic Party, because we are aware that there there are two spirits: there’s a spirit that wants us and there’s a spirit that doesn’t want us, because that is the only way to explain this. We want to go to a marriage based on affection, not on a marriage of interests. We acknowledge that as of today there’s a spirit that wants us, a spirit with whom we have made a precise and decisive agreement, the spirit that we can see in Veltroni. With that spirit we want to construct a unified group that respects the programme. There’s a spirit that doesn’t want us, and it’s true that on the political battles that we want to take forward, they have already said that we have not the right not even to speak and that they will ask nothing from us. In fact, even they start to find us horrid for the fact that we could deal with justice. In this kind of viewpoint, to decide if we can create a unified group, we want to know what they want to do.
We have indicated the topics about which we would like replies, without which in the meantime we will create our Italia dei Valori group and we will start a journey to reach clarity, to resolve as soon as possible those issues that could still be unresolved.
I believe that every decision should be taken together and communicated together, Veltroni and I, which is why I’m making this invitation and not just to be united but to be reunited to decide the content rather than the container, but also after that, to communicate the decision together. What’s more, I’m also asking that following on from the meeting, that we are asking for before the first sitting of Parliament, there is also a moment when Veltroni and I together, go through a verification together with the general public by means of the press and together we refer each other’s reasoning.”

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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15 April 2008

Elections, the day after

15 April 2008. The day after the elections. In the name of Italia dei Valori and for me personally, I’d like to thank all who have voted for us, all those who have engaged with us, all the Italians who went to vote, because I believe that it is an essential requirement for democracy, that in the end it is up to the citizen to decide which party has to represent him in Parliament. It would be good if he could also choose which person he wants to represent him in Parliament. This election law has made that not possible, but we of Italia dei Valori have been vigilant in creating the lists. We don’t have people with questionable merits. A brief analysis of the result. For Italia dei Valori, there’s no doubt that it went very well. We have a result that is doubled, and in many cases tripled and done even better. We have 29 deputies and 14 senators elected. Twenty eight deputies in Italy and one deputy from abroad. We will be a team of forty three parliamentarians present in Parliament.
Never before has it been so necessary that Italia dei Valori, with its identity and its parliamentarians, should be vigilant and watchful in Parliament, to once more make sure that “ad personam” laws and government roles are not used for the exploitation of personal interests and activities that demonstrate a conflict of interests. Never before has it been so necessary to have freedom of information, information that is independent and transparent to stop the homologation of information itself, given that most of the public and the private media are in the hands of a single man. Never before has it been so necessary to watch out for waste and the non-transparent and partial use of public funds. Let it be clear, we respect the vote of the Italians. Italians have made a choice. I believe that the choice of the Berlusconi government is a choice that will not lead to positive solutions for the whole country, but if this is the will of the Italians, or of the majority of them, those of us who have been elected to Parliament have the duty to respect that but at the same time, we have the duty to offer an alternative.
We are not going to present a preconceived opposition, one that needs to say “no” even if something good is done, but we want to see that it is really good for the Italians and that it isn’t a rip-off.
Here, on this blog, you will find the list of our parliamentarians, their first and second names, and whether they are in the Lower or Upper House. You can have a dialogue with each one of them.
I am proud that we have been successful in such a tough test, with success for the party and for me personally. And it is also positive that out of the 42 parties that there were before the elections, there are now 5 or 6 inside the institutions. We want to have a dialogue with all the civil society that does not recognise itself in the other parties and perhaps not even in our party, but who can anyway find someone to engage with in our party. We want to dialogue with that part of the electorate who voted for other parties that are now outside Parliament and that need to be represented. We definitely want to be on the side of the most vulnerable, but always on the side of the rule of law. This is why, today, while expressing satisfaction for the results of the party I’m also expressing a worry for what could be a government model that is to be put in place. But I will get close to this experience, in opposition, with the serenity of mind of one who has had the strength from you to tackle the draft laws, the measures that will be taken on each occasion, and in this sense, to try to act in the public interest. I want to continue to have a dialogue with you through the Internet, because, as you know, this seems to me to be, or risks being the only independent channel of communication. I will keep you constantly up to date and with the parliamentarians of Italia dei Valori, we will keep in high regard the sense of ethics of the institutions in Parliament.

Thank you.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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14 April 2008

Thank you

I want to thank everyone who made their way to the voting stations to vote for Italia dei Valori. It was not easy to decide to go to the voting station after so many failures of the Italian political system. And it was not easy to choose the symbol with the rainbow-coloured sea gull after the substantial blackout of IdV by the public TV channels and by the continual gratuitous and defamatory attacks from the media in the hands of signor Silvio Berlusconi.
Those who voted for IDV want a real change in this country, they want freedom of information, a market economy, a functioning justice system, a dignified job. The party that I represent will do everything to achieve these objectives. We owe it to each of you individually and we owe it to our conscience. My commitment in relation to all citizens is to develop the proposals of IDV’s election programme with maximum transparency and continuity and with the interaction that can be achieved through the Internet.
Thank you for your trust. I, together with the deputies and the senators of Italia dei Valori will do what is possible so that we deserve that trust.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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Vote for an honest Italy

Today, on his blog, Beppe Grillo posted the list of names of the sentenced criminals, people under investigation, statute-barred offenders and people remanded for trial who are headed for Parliament. The list is drawn from the book entitled “If you know them you avoid them” by Marco Travaglio and Peter Gomez. Italia dei Valori is a clean party. Vote for an honest Italy.

Click to see the list

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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Vote for an honest Italy

Today, on his blog, Beppe Grillo posted the list of names of the sentenced criminals, people under investigation, statute-barred offenders and people remanded for trial who are headed for Parliament. The list is drawn from the book entitled “If you know them you avoid them” by Marco Travaglio and Peter Gomez. Italia dei Valori is a clean party. Vote for an honest Italy.

Click to see the list

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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13 April 2008

A final appeal

We have reached the final hours of the electoral campaign and I ask that you allow me to launch a final appeal to the Internet Community. I know that amongst you there are many people who are as yet undecided as to whether or not to go and vote, and those who are disappointed with the current political policies. The final outcome is that anyone who fails to vote effectively entrusts others with making the decision on who will govern the country. Therefore, I would like to invite you to reflect on who this Mister Berlusconi really is, the one who wants to take over the government of the Country.
I have already said that he is someone that refuses to acknowledge to the law. In fact, he hates me and he hates the judges, and has stated publicly that all the judges should be sent for mental competency tests. He refuses to acknowledge the role of the Head of State, whose “super partes” role he rejects and, in fact, he wants the current incumbent to stand down. He refuses to contemplate the existence of free and transparent information. In fact, he refuses to implement the provisions of the decision handed down by the European Court of Justice.
However, there is an even more serious matter, namely that, in an attempt to gain the voters’ trust, he has taken to attacking me personally. He is attacking anyone that, irrespective of the personal issues, has proved that he is a liar and cannot be believed when he says that he would act in the interests of the Italian public. He cannot be believed precisely because he is a liar. He states that he has never offered me any ministerial post in his government. He did in fact offer me a post, and how! There are ample witnesses, photographs and video clips as proof that he offered me a ministerial post, and how! The truth is, however, that he attempted to buy me too. I refused his offer and he is still unable to believe that there are still people out there that he cannot buy.
He even goes as far as claiming that I don’t have a degree. Besides anything else, the fact is that he should be explaining the reason why he wants to govern, rather than discussing the issue of whether I have a degree and how I got it in the first place. In any event, I will show you my degree in Constitutional Law, a subject that he himself would be well advised to study. Perhaps he should spend some time reading through my thesis.
The truth is that, and this I must admit, he too has a degree, earned in the same year. I graduated from the “Statale di Milano” as a working student who worked during the day and studied at night, and making many sacrifices in the process. He got his degree at the P2. I will also show you his membership card from the P2, where he, as a member of the chapter, was subject to the orders of Licio Gelli.
So, do you still honestly believe that there is no way that you could go and vote, and that all politicians are alike? Who is more reliable, the person that makes sacrifices in order to graduate and build a future for himself, or the person who becomes a member of the P2 and is prepared to go as far as buying court decisions, just like he did in the case of Previti and Squillante, or who owns his own television stations, which is the reason why he refuses to accept the decision handed down by the European Court of Justice?
You decide. What you cannot say, however, is that: “I am not going to vote because all politicians are alike”. Working students and regime exploiters are not alike.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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11 April 2008

The only party with zero sentenced offenders

Herewith the article from page 4 of today’s Repubblica newspaper, showing the current legal status of the future new Parliamentarians to-be. As I have repeatedly stated during the current election campaign, the Italia dei Valori Party has only fielded candidates with perfectly clean records.
"Black flag to the Pier Ferdinando Casini’s UDC Party, while top of the class is Di Pietro’s Italia dei valori party. These two parties respectively represent the two extremes of the “clean list”, negative and positive. 9 Percent of the future centre-party Parliamentarians are, in fact, people that have either been found guilty, sentenced or are awaiting the outcome of appeals from either the Court of Appeal or the Court of Cassation. This compared to a 100 percent of the Italia dei Valori Party’s top contenders, who not only have a clean record, but have never even been remanded for trial. The classification was drawn up following a lengthy cross-referenced investigation of the nomination lists submitted by all of the parties to the "lavoce.info" website. Furthermore, it refers to the legal status of future incumbents or presumed initial dropouts on the basis of the composition of the lists or election forecasts.
«There is a rotten smell around Parliament» is the title given to the investigation surrounding the virtuosity list. At the top of the list is the Idv party with 100 percent of their candidates being free of any involvement in any legal cases whatsoever. Then follows the Lega Nord party with 93.1 percent. Thereafter comes the Democratic Party with 98.8, the Pdl with 96.7 and the Sinistra arcobaleno with 98.1. Bringing up the rear is Casini’s Udc with 85.3 percent. The site specifies that: «the major information sources as regards the candidates’ legal status is the book entitled "Se li conosci li eviti" (If you know them, you avoid them) by Peter Gomez and Marco Travaglio (Chiarelettere, ed.) and the decisions handed down by the Appeals and Cassation Courts »."

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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9 April 2008

We’ll put them in the madhouse

I would like do share some reflections with you. According to you, is this the behaviour of someone who has lost his head and is maddened or is there something behind it? According to you, why did Berlusconi say that the judges are mad and need their mental health checking? And why is it that in the same context, at the same time, in the same circumstances, in the same conditions, Dell’Utri says that Mangano was a hero? But is it really true that it could be just a question of two madnesses?
Remember that Mangano was the stable man at Arcore. He was convicted for having killed two people. He was a mafia man. His conviction was confirmed at the first degree. Then he died in natural circumstances. Why does Berlusconi have this rancour, this hatred for the judges, for all those who deal with investigations and with getting respect for the law? And are these two circumstances just madness?
Do you know that I don’t believe that any longer? Do you know what I think? I think that these gentlemen have understood that they can lose the elections, and I want them to lose the elections, because I am worried if this State, this Country is to be in the hands of these people. They are sending out a message to that world, to the mafia and criminal world, and anyway to the world of illegality. Given that they too vote, and given that for these people, they need a few extra votes, they are sending out a message to say: “if you vote for us, watch and see that we’ll keep the judges at a distance and we’ll send them to the madhouse. If you vote for us, we’ll be sure that those who do not speak will become heroes, those that maintain “omertà”, those that are part of that category.” So then, is it good for the Italian citizens that these people take on the powers of the Italian Government? This is the message that I want to communicate to you, to make you understand even better in what a sensitive situation we find ourselves in, here and now.
From today you will find published on this site, in a form that is not yet complete, but anyway meaningful, the list of the candidates who have been convicted, or who have at least been sent for trial and for whom there is already the start of the proceedings and a charge drawn up, who are in the ranks of the Popolo delle Libertà {PDL} and have something to do with justice. Why am I telling you this? So that you can appreciate what they want to do in Parliament. If there are dozens and dozens of people who are tangled up in the justice system, whether as convicts, or at the beginning of trial proceedings, and who then go into Parliament with this grudge of Berlusconian memory and Berlusconian manners, this bitterness in relation to the control of the rule of law, what kind of security can you have that we can still find ourselves in a State based on the rule of law, that is one in which the law is equal for everyone? And what are the consequences? The consequences would be that the strongest, the craftiest and the one who has least respect for the laws would get ahead, while the others would be kept always as underdogs.
Look at these names. Look at their pedigree and then tell me whether it is worthwhile for this group of people to go and represent Italy in the Italian Parliament. This is why I’m making this heartfelt appeal. We of Italia dei Valori have asked for a criminal records check for our candidates, as well as their election certificates. With us, there is no one in those conditions. It’s not enough to say what the programmes are. It’s necessary to say who the people are to go into Parliament, the men and the women. We have done this. We are making available another Italy for the Italian Parliament. It is different from the one that Berlusconi is making available. Think about it.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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8 April 2008

Proud to cause fear

The situation is sensitive. And I invite you to mobilize. On the one hand, there is Berlusconi who has said that he could never accept even the idea of Di Pietro being the Minister of Justice, because he is afraid of Di Pietro.
Now, I don’t use rifles like his friend Bossi or even Lombardo who also wants to use rifles. I use the legal code, and I will always use the legal code, because laws have to be respected, and this frightens Berlusconi. However, if we don’t rally, he’ll win and if he wins, there’ll be a return to that politics of personal interests, of conflicts of interests, of the strongest, of the craftiest, of the “I don’t care “about rights and the expectations of the others. It’s an anti-democratic Italy that one that would come into being.
However, I am also worried on the other side, when every day I hear someone, in the Centre Left but also in the Democratic Party, who wakes up and says: “no, it’s better that Di Pietro doesn’t become the Minister of Justice”. I haven’t asked to for this position, but just the idea that someone in the Democratic Party even has it in their head that I am an obstacle for the system of justice worries me and it should worry you. I don’t understand why someone should be an obstacle for the system of justice when that someone for twenty years has been fighting to ensure that the law is equal for everybody, so that the conflict of interests get resolved, so that there are no more “ad personam” laws, so that there is more security and a justice system that functions, so that magistrates can be left free and independent to do their work. Why is it that this is happening even within this coalition? Well, you could say: “I’m not going to vote.” No! Here’s the catch. That’s where they are waiting for you. That’s the rub!
Not going to vote means leaving this solution in their hands. There’s nothing to be done, it’s either the rifle or the voting paper. I can’t take up the rifle, I don’t know about rifles, I don’t care about rifles. But the voting paper has to be taken because, if you don’t pick up the voting paper, you just watch and these types do what they want, they go into the institutions, they cancel what is of no interest to them, they cancel what is of interest to the citizens, and they make the laws as they want and the citizens become ever more mere vassals. That’s why I say that to renounce going to vote is to have already handed the others a victory. It is not a proud gesture, but a weak gesture. I invite you to reflect: it is better to stay within the institutions with a political force that, on these topics, is fighting to make its voice heard.
Help us to stop this drifting. Help us, because it is an anti-democratic drift that is happening in our country.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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5 April 2008

At the Country’s expense

The case of Alitalia, a national airline that has failed, raising the spectre of bankruptcy and mass retrenchments, is not an isolated case. There are insufficient letters in the alphabet to list all of the problems that Italy is facing and there is an urgent need to act very decisively. The disaster in terms of image, caused by the fiasco of the buffalo mozzarella and the adulterated wine, has translated into heavy financial losses, particularly abroad.
The fact of the EU asking for explanations on a daily basis with regard to our foodstuff products, as well as Japan and China’s import ban, constitute long-term damage. The foreign consumer tends to associate the product at risk with Italy as a whole rather than with simply a small part of the Country, such as perhaps Naples or Tuscany. Trust is not quickly regained, not even with the ritual apologies. The final result could well be the rejection of any foodstuffs originating from Italy as a whole. Tourism is also experiencing similar problems. For the rest of the world, Alitalia is a symbol of Italy, and to see the company’s anguish splashed out on the front pages of the foreign tabloids as a result of losses incurred, amounting to 88 million Euro in February alone, and this, together with the images of the piles of refuse in Campania, keep the tourists away from Italy. Unfortunately, I could continue indefinitely along this path.
The electoral campaign is going on unabated, with a climate of promises and IOUs and, at the same time, with new emergencies arising daily, requiring action that is being put off until after the elections. It is almost as if, by some magic, the solutions to these problems will simply appear out of nowhere immediately after the 14th April. The Italia dei Valori Party has demanded Bassolino’s resignation, but Bassolino is still there. The Italia dei Valori Party has highlighted Silvio Berlusconi’s interference in the Alitalia-Air France negotiations. Interference that is probably dictated by his allies in the Lega Nord Party, in other words, by politics rather than by business considerations. Interference that is tantamount to insider trading and that caused the agreement with Air France to fall through, also thanks to the attitude displayed by the trades union. The fact that we are facing imminent elections is not a valid reason for anyone to hamstring the Country by passing on the problems to the new incumbent, or even to aggravate the situation further.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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2 April 2008

Voting papers

Today I have put forward a formal demand and a warm appeal: the formal demand is to the Minister of the Interior and to the President of the Council and the warm appeal is to the President of the Republic, asking for the redesign of the voting papers. This form is designed in such a way that the citizens cannot know nor can they work out which parties support the coalitions.

I’ll explain this better. But I’m asking you to have a look at this example of a voting paper. It has a box for each party. There is a row of boxes at the top and another row underneath. That’s true for the Senate. The same applies for the Lower House. In reality, in these elections, the game is to be played out between the two coalitions: the coalition led by Berlusconi, that has three parties, and the coalition led by Veltroni, that has two parties supporting it. How can you know which are these two coalitions? Each of us, when we go to vote, will find a load of parties, and it’s not obvious who is supporting whom, nor which party is supporting which candidate for the position of leader. The result is that each of us will be likely to, just because of that mass media message that Berlusconi is putting forward, and anyway the major parties, to vote for the biggest party so as not to throw away your vote. This is not the truth.

Veltroni is supported by two parties: the Democratic Party, but also by Italia dei Valori. So you have to know that the vote, to the Democratic Party or to Italia dei Valori, refers to the same programme and to the same candidate for the position of Premier. But in this way, with this design of the ballot paper, it is not obvious. It would have been enough to put the boxes in vertical columns, instead of horizontally, and we would have had intuitive and visual clarity about who are the two parties supporting the same candidate for the position of Premier.

I don’t want to believe that the reason why a design of this type has been used is exactly so as not to make it known that parties like Italia dei Valori are in an alliance, within a coalition and that they can ask for the useful vote. Personally, I think that the vote is useful for every party in which the voter trusts, but it is certainly a duty to make known to the voters which are the coalitions that support which candidate for the position of Premier.
Italia dei Valori is a political formation that is worth voting for, for two reasons: the first, of course, is because it is in a coalition and it is never a wasted vote; the second is because we of Italia dei Valori, unlike other parties of the coalition, we are committed to and we continue to commit all of us to certain fundamental topics: the conflict of interests, security, the reform of the justice system so that it can function, the elimination of “ad personam” laws, basically all that series of measures that give greater credibility to the institutions. We, for example, have not got as candidates people who are convicts, because we have requested a criminal records certificate, as well as election certificates. However, by using such a ballot paper, it seems that we have tarred everyone with the same brush, and this is no good.
Raise this issue. You too, do some campaigning to put the pressure on. Write to the institutions and to this blog as well. With this design, you will not be put in a condition of being able to exercise your right to vote properly.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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31 March 2008

The Abolition of the “Authorities”

Lamberto Cardia - CONSOB President

An Authority is a public institution that has the task of watching over the correct operation of a specific sector of the economy or of society or of services (translated from Wikipedia in Italian)
The “independent” Authorities as given on the Senate’s website are:
- Authority Guaranteeing competition and markets
- Authority Guaranteeing Communications
- Authority Guaranteeing the protection of personal data
- CONSOB
- Institute for the overseeing of private insurance and collective interests (ISVAP)
- Authority for electric energy and gas
- Authority for overseeing public works
- Commission for Guaranteeing the operation of the law relating to strikes in essential public services

The current “Authorities” are not organisations that oversee or control. The reason is simple. They are normally led by people appointed by the parties, often party members, people who are by no means “independent”.
In recent days we have witnessed continuous declarations from Signor Berlusconi about Alitalia that have made the share price oscillate by 40%. Who has gained? Extremely late, the Consob has intervened because it has the duty to do so.
The violation of all the Italian laws and of the verdict from Europe in relation to Rete 4 is in front of our eyes, but not in front of the eyes of the Authority Guaranteeing Communications
The citizens believe themselves to be protected by the Authority, but in reality they are not. The Authorities are organisms that protect the parties. A waste of public money.
In the next legislature I will ask for their abolition.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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30 March 2008

Promised vote: Marco Travaglio

In recent days I have received many promised votes in favour of the Italia dei Valori party.
Here is one from Marco Travaglio.
"Two years ago I voted for the Italia dei Valori party, mainly because their candidate for my Piemonte was Franca Rame, an extraordinary person who, I am pleased to say, I contributed to sending to the Senate. I honestly think that this time around I will again be voting for Antonio Di Pietro’s party. I have taken note of all the objections raised by the party’s critics, inter alia, the paternalistic and personal management style of the party, which has been abandoned by some, the unseemly act of letting the party rent offices in a building owned by none other than Di Pietro, the nomination of candidates such as Sergio De Gregorio and Federica Rossi Gasparrini, who then promptly left the IdV party just a few months after being elected, Di Pietro’s commitment, as Minister for Infrastructure, to the TAV (High-speed Train) project for goods from the Valsusa (albeit after having discussed the issue with the area’s residents, including discussions regarding a possible alternative route to the infamous, 54Km “hole” at Venaus); the decision not to close down the “Stretto di Messina” company, notwithstanding the repeated objections against the bridge project, and his “no” to the establishment of a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the G8 affair (something sacrosanct in my opinion, given that parliamentary commissions of inquiry in Italy have a history of muddying the waters and getting in the way of the magisterial investigations. His objection, however, was somewhat clumsily justified by his request that the so-called “Black block” also be investigated, almost as if Parliament should concern itself with crimes committed by common citizens). To make myself perfectly clear, I would much rather vote for an Einaudi or a De Gasperi if they were still alive. However, in anticipation of someone of that calibre managing to get into politics, I believe that abstention – by which I have been sorely tempted for some time – would land up playing directly into the hands of the castes, or the clan. A non-vote, even if practiced on a large scale, means absolutely nothing to the party bureaucracy. Even if there were only three voters in total, the parties would share them out percentage-wise in order to separate the winner from the vanquished. Without giving a damn for the absentees who, in the final analysis, are always in the wrong. Therefore, I think that we need to be realistic, not by voting for the “least bad”, but by voting for the party that we believe is less far away from our own desires.
What has convinced me to vote for the Idv party is Di Pietro’s nomination lists, which include a number of people with values, some of which are my friends, from MicroMega, from the girotondi and that have, in recent years, fought in the battle for legality and freedom of information. I will mention one in particular.
Read the rest of "Promised vote: Marco Travaglio"

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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Interview on RepubblicaTv

I’m presenting an interview given to RepubblicaTv on 28 March in which I am responding to questions from viewers.

Your questions

- The issue of Alitalia
- IdV and the PD’s programme
- The credibility of candidates: the issue of De Gregorio
- Possible parity in the Senate
- But will IdV be dissolved?
- The refuse emergency and the case of Bassolino
- Berlusconi’s insults
- Proposals for the justice system
- The mafia in the election campaign
- The relationship with Beppe Grillo and the movements
- Politics seen from the inside
- Flexibity and precarious working
- The salary of the parliamentarians
- Women and the composition of the lists
- Regulations concerning de facto couples
- Message to voters on the Right
- The dialogue with the Centre

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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14 March 2008

Bassolino must take a step back

Bassolino’s resignation is not something that I wish for. It is upsetting when a legislature ends with someone’s resignation, but when such resignation is inevitable and necessary in order to reinstate the credibility of the institutions, let those responsible step forward by taking a step back.
My feelings are those of the Italia dei Valori party, a political organisation with a head on its shoulders, which does not do anything rash, not partake in theatrics, which highlighted a problem some time ago, not because the timing was auspicious, and we have no intention of using those legal proceedings to refer back to our requests, also because, on a personal level, it is extremely difficult if not totally impossible to believe that Bassolino would get involved in form of illicit behaviour for personal gain. On a personal level, I have no hesitation whatsoever in defending his honour.
The problem is a political one, and we highlighted it at an inauspicious time, without any hidden agenda, firstly by not taking our place in the Bassolino junta, and then by demanding his resignation when the waste disposal affair hit the headlines, long before the legal action began.
At the time, as we do now, we attempted to convince Bassolino to accept his responsibilities, so as to avoid becoming embroiled with the centre-right and thereby being accused of treason and conspiring with the centre-right, also because we do not agree entirely with the fact of bringing in this centre-right regional government to replace Bassolino, precisely because, in terms of waste disposal, the rot always seems to begin precisely, and above all with the centre-right and we have no mad desire to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.
That is why we have said, on the one hand, that it would be better for him to resign and, on the other hand, that we have no intention of taking part in his junta, because we do not believe that this junta will be able to resolve the problems, and we refuse to accept being labelled as turncoats, because we like the other side even less.
We are convinced that through this act of political and institutional persuasion, and in the hope of an imminent victory, which we believe to be within our grasp, we will be able to convince the Governor to resign. Clearly, should he fail to do so, having used the excuse of the waste disposal emergency to justify his failure to resign, desperate times require desperate measures.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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12 March 2008

Italia dei Valori Candidates: Beppe Giulietti

I’m publishing the speech delivered at the presentation by Beppe Giulietti, a candidate in Piedmont for Italia dei Valori.

”In general, whoever is not visible gets forgotten by the media policies and it seems polite to remember whoever allows you to express yourself and to exist.
Let me say a word of thanks, a tiny conflict of interests that is easily resolvable, to many of us present here who have chosen to participate in the forum of Articolo 21 by expressing agreement and disagreement to a proposal that arrived from Italia dei Valori in a clear way, a transparent way that was handled in a free and transparent way. I will then leave a file with hundreds of people who have written, many of whom will not vote for me, nor even for Di Pietro, who think differently, but who say “yes”. If there is a proposal to represent forcefully, a clear and transparent way, the topics of communication, it is a serious proposal. Above all my thanks go to those who think differently from me, but this is the way to represent communication: not to associate the faithful and to try to represent those who are different.
He convinced me because it is a list that unites in a Country where the lists cause divisions, because it supports a candidate to be President, Veltroni, who is a friend of mine. When I read the pictures of night-time struggle between Veltroni and Di Pietro, they are stupid stories. The proposal that was made to me was clear and transparent from Italia dei Valori in response to the appeal of thousands of people. I had never asked for dispensations. I don’t know what that’s about. I was busy with other things.
In response to a document that put forward the topic of communication, Italia dei Valori said: “We know that they are important and fundamental topics. Represent them with force and dignity.” I don’t know if I’ll be capable, however, certainly I’ll be committed to represent them and to try to do so.
Rarely have I seen anyone taking on a topic with this level of commitment and with this strength, in a country where article 21 has been destroyed in certain seasons, gaining for itself, the last place, not because it was Giulietti that said so, Giulietti who is no one, but the liberal international agencies, that many people probably don’t know and get them confused with the Bolsheviks.
Thus there are three key thoughts: rule of law, liberty and equality. My commitment is to journey in this world.
Do you know the meaning of the rule of law? It makes me laugh to say this: that there’s a commitment to respect the verdicts of the Constitutional Court and of the European Court, that if Europa7 wins, then the verdict is applied, and there’s no playing about with the verdicts. This is a phrase used by the Centre Right: zero tolerance against what is illegal. To say this phrase seems something radical, respect for the verdict is valid for Europa7, it’s valid for ReteA, it’s valid for the tiniest radio station. If it is possible to play games with a verdict, it’s possible for anyone in the world of communications. It means, and Pardi has expressed it well, to be liberated from the conflict of interests, that is not only in relation to Berlusconi, but also of the RAI: yes to a unique administration, closing down the Boards of Directors with political nominations, at the RAI and at the Authority. They are proposals that are classically European: to be freed from control. This is to be liberated of conflict of interests and ensure we have liberty, and it means also freedom of the Internet, that is no to proposals to control the Internet and no to proposals of 5 years in prison and two million Euro that are at the centre of Berlusconi’s programme on intercepts: it means putting a cage round Italian reporters. I believe it is not practicable.
Quality means that perhaps the three trials of Perugia or of Erba can go on at one o’clock in the morning, and a great campaign on the deaths at work can come back to 9:00pm, just like the great topics about life.
I would like to ask the Guaranteeing Authority to check up right now, very seriously the topic of equal opportunity, because I believe in the topic of liberty: if the socialists protest, I worry, I want to know whether they are right, just as if it’s the Radicals protesting or the Sinistra Arcobaleno, when it is Di Pietro, I will be worried, just as for the Democrats and the groups on the Centre Right. Let the Authority control the data. If there is any violation don’t let them wait until after the election, let them take the compensatory measures straight away, not suspensions: this is what it means to be free and to defend everyone’s liberty.
I have read that Berlusconi has a horror of Di Pietro. I’ll end with this: One of the reasons why I accepted to be a candidate is that he has a horror of Di Pietro. I however am a bit behind the times. I try to respect the 10 commandments on alternate days. I have a horror of those who have played foul with the verdicts, the ones who pay the judges, the ones who go and have dinner with the mafia people and those who put forward as candidates the friends of mafia people.
Thank you”

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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10 March 2008

IdV Candidates: Elio Lannutti

I’m publishing the speech of Elio Lannutti, the candidate heading up Italia dei Valori’s list for Veneto in the Senate.
”Thank you Antonio Di Pietro, Italia dei Valori, friends
This is a homecoming. Already in 2001, I was a candidate with Di Pietro, and so I am really honoured to come back and be part of a party that is fighting for the rule of law, and for the defence of rights.
As everyone knows, I am concerned with the defence of consumer rights. Greetings to Rosario Trefiletti, the president of Federconsumatori, who has been my companion in so many battles against the banks and the excessive power of those who do not respect the law.
Briefly, I will be a candidate thanks to the honourable Massimo Donadi. Thanks to him.
I want to point out three things: this is a country in which the corporations command, this is a country where there is the republic of the banks that dictate the laws, and when there are also State laws, like the Bersani decree on the possibility to move mortgages and on the synergy of interests that are not respected and nothing happens.
In respecting the programme of Italia dei Valori and of the Partito Democratico, I will try to fight for the defence of buying power: remember that insurance premiums have gone up by 158%. They should come down, as should banking services.
With the price of the euro, there has been a transfer from the pockets of the citizens, from consumers, from workers on fixed incomes, from pensioners who have to get into debt and who don’t manage to get to the end of the month., something like 137 billion euro. If I’m elected, while respecting the programme, the commitment is not that of making so many announcements, but to stay with my feet on the ground and defend poor people who are not managing and who are obliged to get into debt.
Once more I thank Antonio Di Pietro and Italia dei Valori."

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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9 March 2008

IdV Candidates: Pancho Pardi

On Friday 7 March, I presented four candidates chosen from civil society and from politics. Pancho Pardi is the top of the list in Tuscany for the Senate, Teresa Cordopatri is the top of the list in Calabria for the Senate, Elio Lannutti is the top of the list in Veneto for the Senate and Beppe Giulietti in Piedmont for the Chamber of Deputies.
I’m publishing my speech and the first of the four speeches, that of Pancho Pardi. The others will follow in the next few days.

”The Party cannot be a closed Caste, but it must open up to the best professionalisms, to the best energy and resources that civil and political society can supply. This is why every time we have seen that there was the possibility that even people external to Italia dei Valor could have, through our election participation, the possibility of being in Parliament and of representing the diverse interests and the reasoning of the people, we have taken important steps back to make the best candidate positions available to them. We have even done that yesterday with Beppe Lumia, we have even repeated our availability this morning to Nando Della Chiesa, because we believe that the forthcoming legislature is important, a turning point, and it is better that there are the best professionalisms and personalities committed in the battles for transparency, for the rule of law and the battle against illegality, both in terms of organised crime as well as economic-financial (so-called “white”) but that also does a lot of harm.”

Shortly there’ll be the whole text of the speech.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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7 March 2008

11h00: presentation of candidates

Today, Friday 7th March, at 11h00, at a press conference at Montecitorio, we will be presenting our candidates.
A choice made on the basis of two principles: the ties to the territory, putting up our party leaders as candidates, and opening up to civil society, with candidates that represent the general areas of reference, so as to bring to Parliament certain themes and battles that have, to date, remained on the outskirts, such as consumer rights, protecting the interests of small investors, freedom of information and the culture of legality and compliance with the rules.
A party rooted within the territory, yet open to anyone who shares our values.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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6 March 2008

Beppe Lumia

Italia dei Valori has decided to offer Beppe Lumia, the vice president of the Parliamentary Committee against the Mafia, to be a candidate for the regional elections in Sicily as well as for the national elections for the constituency of Lombardy 1, in second position after myself, thus in a winning place as it is reasonable to suppose that Italia dei Valori will get two seats there. Yesterday Beppe Grillo published an appeal on his blog asking that a servant of the State not be left isolated to fight the mafia, an appeal that Italia dei Valori has taken up. Beppe Lumia has been condemned to death by organised crime because of his activity and no one can turn the other way, as unfortunately has happened too many times in the past.
Italia dei Valori will shortly present its election lists. They are made up of representatives of civil society who are committed in the front line to give a future to our country. I really do hope that Beppe Lumia will accept my invitation.
Link to Beppe Grillo’s appeal: ""Un morto che cammina"

" {dead man walking}.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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3 March 2008

The 11 points

Friday 29 February 2008, the day for presenting symbols with the Ministry of the Interior for presentation at the forthcoming national elections.
It means that each party or coalition must, today or tomorrow, deposit with the Ministry of the Interior the symbols and the logos which the parties will use at the elections.
We of Italia dei Valori will be present with our symbol and our logo, because our party is going as a party to the next elections and with the precise commitment defined in the famous 11 points that together with you we have discussed and shared.
Try and have a look at these 11 points. They are the result of a dialogue that we have had with you in recent weeks. Certain things, I’ve had to reword and change because you told me so. I’m proud of this as it is Italia dei Valori’s programme with 11 points that you can all see on this site, and it is the fruit of joint work done using the Internet, between us who are employees asking to be able to represent you and you who are sending us to Parliament.

Soon there’ll be the text of the speech.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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Bassolino’s political responsibility

CdS: Minister Di Pietro, what is going to happen to the Democratic Party in Campania following Bassolino going to trial on charges related to the waste disposal affair?
Di Pietro: There is no doubt that this affair will certainly be an electoral setback. However, the fault does not lie with the judge that was simply doing his duty, but rather with politics, which, instead of ensuring the proper disposal of the refuse, has instead created the right conditions that led the Magistrate to request an investigatory hearing. The setbacks are a given fact. I would not, however, wish to see the cause being confused with the effects.


CdS: What should Bassolino do now? Should he stay in office or should he resign?
Di Pietro: The Italia dei valori party was the only one – and we were harshly criticised I might add - to ask for Bassolini’s resignation, already a number of months ago when the refuse scandal first broke. Furthermore, we asked for his resignation even though we were still part of the centre-left».


CdS: Are there any members of your party serving in the Bassolino junta?
Di Pietro: We have never had any of our members serving in the Bassolino junta and not even now, after the dissolution and restructuring that became necessary when a number of members took a different path, namely that of the Poggioreale rather than that of the Regional Council Chambers. Although we were asked to take part, we turned down the invitation.


CdS: Why?
Di Pietro: We believe that the Bassolino experience is a thing of the past. He is politically liable for the lack of action in terms of waste disposal. Now, with him being sent for trial, which is nothing mor nor nothing less than an investigatory inquiry with all the normal guarantees for the defense, Bassolino the man will be able to prove his innocence, also because I believe he was used, deceived and then raped by the logic of internal party vetos. It is unimaginable for us to think that Bassolino would have benefited personally from such actions. I am sure that he was led by the nose and now he has landed up delegating certain roles and responsibilities to individuals who should have rather been locked up than given any responsibility whatsoever.


CdS: What will be the extent of the electoral setbacks?
Di Pietro: It is going to be rather wide ranging. Bassolino’s resignation may send a message of discontinuity. Not having been involved in this episode gives us, as members of the Italia dei valori party, the right to stand as an alternative to abstention, because it is clear that the Neapolitan citizen who is now discouraged after having taken note of this inactivity, will no doubt be more than a little tempted to stay away from the polling booths. I would nevertheless like to say one other thing, namely that it would be unfair to unload all of the blame for the waste disposal fiasco onto Bassolini alone, since the poor record also extends to other areas of Government, for example, the matter of Naples thermoenhancer, which dates back to the era of the centre-right junta led at the time by Rastrelli.

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics
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18 February 2008

Great Biagi, tiny public TV

In a recent interview with Gianni Riotta, director of TG1, Silvio Berlusconi, has spoken about Enzo Biagi. He revealed that he wanted to keep Biagi in the RAI and that the journalist declined his offer so that he could get a substantial end-of-employment-lump-sum. Riotta, who is the director of the most important public news broadcast did not feel it his duty to come back on that. Riotta himself had declared that he modeled himself on Biagi.
The truth is that Berlusconi, with his famous “editto bulgaro” {edict from Bulgaria} booted out Enzo Biagi because of his independence. As he did with Michele Santoro and Daniele Luttazzi.
Enzo Biagi had a great defect for the head of the PDL: he told the truth. A dead person cannot defend himself. You cannot have a face to face argument with a person who is no longer with us.
This episode is just the umpteenth of a very bad start to the election campaign on behalf of the media. A situation that highlights the inadequacy of our information system, often a medium of obvious falsities that become “truths” only because they are repeated often over time.
In its proposals for a government programme, Italia dei Valori has a radical intervention in relation to information:
- a single public TV channel without advertising, paid for with a licence fee and removed from the influence of parties
- the putting into operation of the European verdict relating to Europa 7 and the moving of Rete 4 to satellite
- the limit of a single channel for private concessionaires (like Mediaset)
- abolition of public financing of the publishing industry.