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After many words and vitriolic exchanges, Silvio Berlusconi has reached a conclusion. Gianfranco Fini is out; he has been officially ejected from Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PDL) party, reports Corriere della Sera.

The historic break between the two founders of the PDL was formalized by a document read yesterday by the Premier in which he ejected from the party three members: Italo Bocchino, Carmelo Briguglio and Fabio Granata. “We’ve no longer confidence in Fini, who has created a real opposition in line with the left. We can’t go on as a divided party,” said Silvio Berlusconi during a press conference. “We tried every way to mend relations with Fini but it was useless. I don’t want to accept his way of criticizing our government any longer.”

However, according to the Premier  “the government is still strong and safe.” But the questions remains: what’s the future for the government and will it be able to withstand the opposition in Parliament?

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• Fini ally warns Berlusconi as confidence votes loom (reuters.com)
• Berlusconi ousts ally, says govt stable (sfgate.com)
• Berlusconi ousts long-time ally, vows his government will carry on (foxnews.com)

After 18 years of investigations, we’re closer to the truth about the massacre of Via d’Amelio of July 19^th 1992, in which  anti-mafia judge Paolo Borsellino and 5 men from his escort were killed in an explosion. “An incredible and heavy truth that the political world couldn’t withstand,” were the words spoken before the Anti-Mafia Commission by the prosecutors of Caltanissetta Sergio Lari and Nico Gozzo who have reopened the investigation on the assassination of Judge Paolo Borsellino.

“The judiciary,” said Gozzo, “will be able to hold the truths that are emerging on the massacres. The state also will be able to support them. I don’t know, however, if the same will make policy.”

“It’s a crucial moment,” said Lari, “two years have elapsed from the first declarations of Gaspare Spatuzza. From the evidence we acquired it appears that it was not only the Mafia who wanted the massacre in via D’Amelio.” In other words, a contract between the Italian state and the mafia, Lari reiterated, proved that there were “people who despite having the duty of loyalty to the institutions betrayed these principles.”

Meanwhile, the Board considered it appropriate to apply the secret contents of the hearing today: the scenarios outlined by the magistrates contain elements that investigations are deepening.

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• Sicilians mark Borsellino death (bbc.co.uk)

“L’Aquila can’t collapse: it’s a city that knows how to fly”. This new message of hope is now written on a t-shirt  which thousands of L’Aquila wore in Rome on Wednesday as they protested against the Berlusconi government’s handling of the earthquake-shattered city. There were moments of tension: two young men were injured, and even L’Aquila’s mayor, Massimo Cialente, was struck by police batons.

Their slogan was: “It’s a shame, you’ve got golden salaries, we’ve got rubble”. Demonstrators requested that the government halt all taxation of L’Aquila residents. They also demanded a series of measures to boost employment and the economy by establishing effective procedures for reconstruction and funding. “These aren’t privileges, but fairness and rights!” shouted the demonstrators. “We’re here to defend our survival. If we return to pay taxes today, with a salary of €2000  we can put only €600 in our pockets.”

The mayor of L’Aquila, who lead the demonstrators, was received by President of the Senate, Renato Schifani. Though initially Mayor Cialente aimed to lead the protest outside the Parliament, “there was an unexpected blockade by the police,” Cialente said. “When I went to the Senate, we were in agreement that they would open a gap. It’s a shame that people are still away from home: the earthquake wasn’t enough, now the beatings.”

Read more here.

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• Quake victims demonstrate in Rome (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Italian earthquake victims demand more aid (guardian.co.uk)

The fact that the Northern League Party (a government coalition party) and its components hated Italy has been known.

For example, on Sunday the new governor of the Veneto region opened a local school with “Va pensiero”, the separatist anthem of Padania, instead of the Italian national anthem. Meanwhile, other Leaguers insult the Italian flag, saying it should be burned. And still others have publicly stated that they won’t support Italy at the World Cup.

But what Radio Padania (Northern League’s official radio station) did yesterday during Italy’s World Cup match against Paraguay has really caused a stir. The radio, commenting on the Italy – Paraguay match openly supported Paraguay and of course celebrated when the South American defender Antolin Alcaraz scored the 1-0 goal to give his team the temporary lead. “We scored!” Radio Padania’s commentator Roberto Ortelli cheered. “With Cannavaro completely dominated by the Paraguayan player.”

And then there was also Radio Padania’s simultaneous controversy against Fabio Cannavaro, who proposed that the Azzurri donate any eventual prizes to the 150 year celebration of Italian unification- a unification that, of course, those of the Northern League dislike.

After the match, at a press conference Italy coach Marcello Lippi responded angrily: “Radio Padania?” I don’t care. These are ridiculous and low-level things.”

Read the article here.

Image via Wikipedia

The new campaign slogan “Hurl Berlusconi” doesn’t come from an Italian opposition leader but from “One International”, the organization lead by U2 singer, Bono Vox, that fights for the debt relief of poor countries. The organization’s website One.org published a flash animation game that represents a hard attack against the Italian prime minister about his “false promises made during the G8 meetings.”

The site continues: “We all love a bit of fun, but there’s a serious point to the game – since promising to increase aid to Africa in 2005 PM Berlusconi has actually cut it. spanking new DATA report puts him firmly at the bottom of the class.” One.org’s game, “Hurl Berl” depicts a mock weight throw competition where the weight is replaced with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The user can grab the Premier by his feet and let him fly as far as possible. The game is accompanied by a form through which the user can ask other leaders to eject Berlusconi from the G8. The form says: “ The G8 are meeting in Canada in June. Most G8 countries have cancelled debt and increased effective aid to Africa. One man alone has done nothing. In fact Berlusconi is doing even less now than he was 5 years ago. Mr. Berlusconi should be thrown out by the G8”.

The game, however, received some criticism from online users. One user wrote:

“Promoting the image of violence toward a world leader doesn’t do anything to reduce poverty, but does cheapen your message. Don’t get me wrong: I’m no Burl fan. But the hammer throw? Really guys? Really?”

Read more here.

It’s yet another Italian Euro-shame, this time at the OCSE summit in Paris, writes La Repubblica.

During the conference, while talking about the European economic situation, Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi makes an unbelievable speech. In fact, he starts to quote Benito Mussolini’s diaries while making a point: “As prime minister, I never felt I had power. When I was an entrepreneur and I had 56 thousands workers I had the feeling of having power. In a real democracy, I’m at the people’s disposal, everyone can criticize and insult me. Whoever is in this position does not really have power,” Berlusconi said. Then, he quoted the diaries which he had recently read: “I dare to quote a speech from the man who was once considered a great dictator: ‘They say I’ve the power, but I’ve no powers, maybe the gerarchi have it, but not me. I can only decide whether to guide my horse to the right or to the left, nothing else.’” Berlusconi continued: “The same happens to me, because everyone has the right to criticize and insult me…”

It’s an incredible and shameful speech. But this isn’t a rarity. In fact, this isn’t the first time in which Berlusconi quotes Mussolini. The most resounding gaffe is dated September 2003. In that circumstance the Premier said to a journalist: “Mussolini didn’t kill anyone, he just sent people on vacation in internal exile.” At that time the British journalist of “The Spectator” was astounded by that nod to fascism. But the story hasn’t changed. The Italian euro-shame continues. The only problem is: who’s the speech writer of Italy’s Premier? Berlusconi or Mussolini?

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• Silvio Berlusconi compares himself to Mussolini (telegraph.co.uk)

According to the annual report of Reporter without Borders (RWB), for World press freedom day, Italy slipped from 44^th to 49^th for press freedom in the world, behind Argentina, Spain, France, Chile, Slovenia and Costa Rica, but ahead of  Bulgaria, Brazil and Croatia.

“On a daily basis, journalists in Italy face the worst working conditions in the EU,” writes RWB. According to the report, Italy is “the only country in the world in which the prime minister directly controls almost all the national television networks: on one hand, he controls the television network, Rai, and on the other hand, he owns the largest private broadcasting group (three national channels and several newspapers and a radio network). RWB’s denunciation is an indictment against Silvio Berlusconi, who in recent months has increased pressure on information and attacks on press freedom. According to the organization, “the prime minister and his advisers are  influencing the choice of journalists who will be entrusted with the conduct of certain programs and policies, in other cases, fielding direct threats against journalists deemed inconvenient”. All episodes “are serious violations of press freedom and highlight the serious problem of the relationship between politics, truth and information in today’s Italy.”

Read the full story here.

Marco Garatti, Matteo Dall’Aira and Matteo Pagani, the three Emergency operators arrested last April 11^th in Lashkar Gah in southern Afghanistan, were released by the Afghan security forces, says Italy’s La Repubblica. They were accused of participating in a plot to carry out an attack against the governor of Helmand province.

The aid workers, recognized “not guilty” according to the Afghan intelligence press, Nds, were brought to the Italian Embassy in Kabul, and will be repatriated soon. They express their happiness: “We’re so happy being out,” said Marco Garatti. “We’ve passed terrible moments. We’re especially happy to be out with our names completely clean. Our reputations and Emergency’s  are intact”.

“It’s a relief for us all,” the President of Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano said. Even Emergency expressed great satisfaction for the outcome: “We’re happy they’re free, we hadn’t any doubt about they’re innocence. Their release depended on the work of all those, both in Italy and Afghanistan, that have been working together for their freedom.” Regarding a possible return to their operating in Afghanistan, Emergency founder, Gino Strada said: “Everything will be evaluated, because we don’t understand how such a situation arose. We won’t leave the hospital, although it was militarily occupied. Our staff has been prevented from working, but we want to remain, because that hospital is the only way to care for the population.”

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• Italian aid workers accused of plotting to kill Afghan governor (telegraph.co.uk)
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For the Italian national team on the road for the World Cup in South Africa, there might be another opponent than those on the field. In fact according to Cbs, there would be the long shadow of terrorism looming over the World Cup.

According to a statement on the extremist Mushtaqun Lel Jannah site, the Maghreb terrorist group affiliated with Al Qaeda, the group threatened to attack the World Cup in South Africa. The terrorist’s prime targets are the USA. and England, but even France, Germany and Italy: “All countries that fight a crusade against Islam.” The threat also has a warning directed at Fifa president Joseph Blatter: “All the safety controls and the X-ray machines that the USA will send to South Africa won’t be able to stop us.” The answer of the South African Minister for Safety arrived quickly: “We’ll ensure the safety of the millions of tourists arriving in South Africa by checking all of our territory.”

Nonetheless, this threat issued against Western nations concluded in a frightening way: “How nice it would be during the game between USA and England (Rustenburg June 12^th) in a stadium full of people, if at a certain time a big explosion would destroy everything causing hundreds of deaths.”

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Italy has two intrinsic features affecting the cost (and quality) of life: Italy’s workers have the lowest salaries in the EU, but also face the highest prices in all of Europe. But above all else, the thing that costs Italians the most is petrol. Oil companies can raise prices for every little thing. As the price of oil per barrel increases, the price of petrol rises. Yet, in Italy, when the oil price per barrel drops, the price of petrol still remains high. In the past few days (even for the Easter holidays) the prices reached at €1.432/ liter for unleaded gasoline and €1.236/ liter for gas oil- unreasonably high prices that have raised the level of petrol in Italy to being the highest in Europe.

But is the blame for this situation only on the oil companies? Let’s see. In Italy there’s another big feature: taxes on gas. On every liter of petrol the Italian state earns the 70% in tax revenues. But what kind of taxes? These unbelievable taxes are used to repay even things that happened seventy years ago. For example we’re paying off the War in Abyssinia of 1935, the Suez crisis of 1956, the Vajont disaster of 1963, the Florence flood of 1966, the Friuli earthquake of 1976 and many more unfortunate events. Italy has the highest costing petrol in Europe because oil companies raise prices, and because of ridiculous and ancient taxes. The result: no one does anything and nobody says anything. The state collects and lets the status quo continue.

And meanwhile the gas increases and people pay. And pay more than anyone in Europe.

Read here.

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• Petrol price hits all-time high (guardian.co.uk)
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