The first industry who left office early May

In Rome, Woerth-Bettencourt is a major topic of conversation in the dinners in the city. It occupies the whole pages in the press, figure prominently in news. And smile. Because all the ingredients are there for easy comparison. A politico-financier conflict of interest, funding alleged illegal political party, a tax shield large fortunes take large profits, tapping controversial and, finally, media treated "fascist" and "trotskystes". It is croirait in Italy! Florilège de reflections heard these last days: "each turn!", "You, the French, you are not cleaner than we", "Sarkozy and Berlusconi, same fight". At the discharge of those who pronounce these words sound as a response to the taunts abroad them out since the sulphur "Cavaliere" descended into the arena, this is already more than fifteen years. Was the seriousness of the subject, it could indeed, beautiful players, to smile. Except that the comparison, precisely, does not take ten seconds.

Forget the trial for corruption, tax evasion, false balance, abuse of social good and laundering of money from Silvio Berlusconi or his sexual escapades were the "a" a year ago, and look rather what happened in the recent period. In a little more in two months, three Ministers were forced to resign. The first industry, who left office early May. After several testimonies collected by the justice, Claudio Scajola would have been one of the linchpins of a system of embezzlement of public money, through the work carried out on behalf of the State civil protection. His intervention, a building contractor, Diego Anemone, would have received huge public procurement and would have then paid it 900,000 euros to buy an apartment in 200 m, impregnable view on the Colosseum. In the menu, so the facts alleged corruption and personal enrichment. Second example is that of Aldo connecting, a former Executive of Fininvest, the family holding company of the Berlusconi. This threw the sponge on July 6, three weeks after having been promoted simple Under-Secretary of State in charge of decentralization to the rank of Minister without portfolio. Status the placing, de facto, under the protection of any new legislation, so-called "the legitimate impediment", by which a member of the Government may refuse to go to the tribunal if it is called there, on the grounds that his agenda is overloaded. Aldo connecting had not been more than five days to invoke it and try to escape the Antonveneta trial, in which he is prosecuted, with his wife, for receiving and abuse of social good. It took a coup de gueule of the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, that the person concerned resigned himself to go to the hearing and renounces his position.

The third resigned Wednesday 14 July. It is Nicola Cosentino, who was Secretary of State for the economy under the authority of the Minister of finance, Giulio Tremonti. Already prosecuted for complicity with the Neapolitan mafia in a case of trafficking in toxic waste, it has to be charged with "criminal association". He is charged To be involved in the erection of a secret association aimed at manipulating elected officials and judges, which association have pressure on the Constitutional Court, in October 2009, to convince her to maintain the criminal immunity of Silvio Berlusconi. Two other personalities close to the head of Government would be involved in this new story: Denis Verdini, who plays the key role of "Coordinator" among the people of freedom (PDL), the ruling party, and Marcello Dell' Dell'Utri, former Senator PDL and former boss of Publitalia, a subsidiary of Fininvest sentenced in 2004 for "complicity in mafia association" and coming to see his sentence confirmed on appeal (seven years in prison and lifetime ban from exercising a public office).

The list is still long, but now look at how the Roman Executive tries to get out of this bad not. The recipe is simple. Since it is, each time, by the press that the Italians discover the pot to roses, simply prohibit the press to talk about. Therefore, the Parliament is currently before a bill limiting the practice of telephone tapping in criminal investigations and prohibiting purely and simply the transcription in the media. The "gag law", as the call detractors, provides that journalists will have to expect the trial to discuss business. That is, the yoke of lead risk to descend on the peninsula, when you know the speed of justice in Italy and the number of records buried for prescription. Even the UN protested, seeing "an offence to the International Convention on Civil and political rights". Here also, comparison is not reason, despite the interference of Nicolas Sarkozy in the life of the media, and whatever one thinks of the case Woerth-Bettencourt In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi certainly holds the power of appointment of the leaders of public television. But, it must be remembered, he has personally, in addition to a daily, "Il giornale", and a weekly "Panorama", the three main Hertzian channels private, Italia 1, Rete 4 and Canale 5. And, when it considers that the TV does not correctly work, he arrives illico presto on the plateaus to monopolize the word and tell the truth. Bet that the head of French State ira not previously.