Italy’s election. Antics and buffoonery

Date: 25/02/06

Silvio Berlusconi's embarrassing allies

IT HAS always been hard to find a single word to describe the Northern League. Regionalist at times, separatist at others; liberal in theory, protectionist in practice; often populist, certainly anti-immigrant, it has also shaped itself as the party of cultural confrontation. Leaguers are among the keenest admirers of Oriana Fallaci, a writer who says that Muslim immigration is turning Europe into "Eurabia".

Coming from a country that some Muslims mistakenly see as a bastion of proselytising Christianity, this can be inflammatory stuff. Just how inflammatory became clear last week, when up to 14 people died and 35 were wounded in the Libyan city of Benghazi. The reason? A T-shirt.

The responses of western politicians to Muslim protests over cartoons of Muhammad have taken many forms. But the most provocative was surely the decision by Roberto Calderoli, deputy leader of the League and a minister in Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right government, to get a T-shirt made showing some of the drawings. He then displayed the garment on Italian television, which is widely viewed in Libya, once an Italian colony. Two days later, a 1,000-strong mob stormed Italy's Benghazi consulate, leading to the deaths and woundings. The secretary-general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference linked the attack directly to Mr Calderoli's stunt. Under pressure, he resigned as a minister. This week prosecutors in Rome placed him under investigation on suspicion of offending religious beliefs.

One effect of his buffoonery may have been to destabilise a key supplier of Italy's oil and gas. Italy's foreign minister, Gianfranco Fini, and its ambassador in Tripoli have suggested that the incident gave opponents of the Libyan regime an excuse to riot. This was denied by Libyan officials, but an opposition website claims that the government shut down internet points and text messaging to prevent the organisation of more protests.

Another consequence was to throw Mr Berlusconi on the defensive at the start of campaigning for the election in early April. The publication of a letter suggesting that he had paid a British lawyer for favourable court testimony (see box) has added to his problems. Mr Calderoli's antics also reminded voters how irresponsible some partners in the centre-right coalition can be. He has refused to apologise, though he says he did not intend to cause offence. The Northern League leadership passed a motion expressing "total solidarity" with him.

The affair has, at least, given the Berlusconi government an opportunity to demonstrate its damage-limitation skills. Although the prime minister does not have the constitutional authority to fire a minister, he winkled out Mr Calderoli swiftly. Mr Fini cast more water on the flames by visiting Rome's main mosque. Even more helpfully, controversies like these distract the opposition's attention from what should be the main issue: how to improve Italy's dismal economic performance.