Italy. Bravo, President Ciampi

Date: 20/12/03

The Italian prime minister's power needed to be checked. Thank goodness it now has been

WHEN Silvio Berlusconi was campaigning in April 2001 to be elected as Italy's prime minister, he promised to deal with conflicts between his business interests and his political ones within 100 days of entering office. Naturally, he did no such thing. Instead, his coalition government submitted a bill to parliament that promised to increase the control of Italy's media held by his company, Mediaset, a level of control that was already excessive by most countries' standards, especially once it was combined with the influence over state television channels that he can enjoy as prime minister. On December 15th, however, Mr Berlusconi received a shock. President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the head of state, refused to sign the bill, which had passed both houses of parliament, into law. This brave and principled refusal is the best news Italy's constitution has had during the two-and-a-half years of Mr Berlusconi's prime ministership.

A prime minister who was respectful of the constitution and of the highly regarded President Ciampi (a former central-bank governor) would now think again. He would not only study carefully the five-page document President Ciampi sent to parliament explaining his refusal, to see how the communications bill needs to be amended, but also he would return to his promise to deal with his conflicts of interest, for that is what lies at the heart of this matter. Mr Berlusconi, however, has no such respect.

When asked about the points raised in the head of state's document, Mr Berlusconi's reply was staggeringly arrogant: “I have not read them, and I shall not read them.” And he announced a move that is staggeringly self-serving. One of President Ciampi's stated reasons for rejecting the bill was that it reversed a decision of Italy's highest court ordering Mediaset to move one of its channels, Rete4, to satellite broadcasting on the grounds that no operator's share of terrestrial output should exceed 20%. Under the court's ruling, the move had to be implemented by December 31st. Yet Mr Berlusconi says his cabinet will simply draw up an emergency decree to keep Rete4 in business. It is a channel whose evening news bulletins exude pro-government sycophancy.

Unfortunately for the prime minister, such decrees also need the head of state's signature. President Ciampi should refuse it. That is politically tricky, since Rete4 has about 1,000 employees. But that also should give the president some bargaining power. He could offer to sign a decree giving strictly temporary relief to Mediaset on condition that Mr Berlusconi would meanwhile do two things: amend the communications bill so that it no longer in effect lifts limits on the share of TV advertising revenue any group can own; and, even more important, eliminate his own conflict of interest by selling his, and his family's, media holdings. A promise kept, albeit belatedly: now that would be a novelty.

Editorial says that Italian PM Berlusconi's power needed to be checked. Thank goodness it now has been.