In the past days there have been a lot of clamor on Italian media due to the postponement of Italian state television's postponement of a popular show (‘Ballaro’) to avoid drawing viewers away from a rival show on new homes for earthquake survivors (‘Porta a Porta’) featuring Silvio Berlusconi. It has been said that it was an attempt to give the prime minister positive publicity.
Anyway the supposed promotional aim was not reached since the audience of show was far below expectation. Again let’s ask a couple of questions. Are Mr. Berlusconi supporters aware of the economic damage to state television? According the administrative adviser Nino Rizzo Nervo (mentioned on repubblica.it) the loss should be some 500.000€.
But let’s ask more. What is happening in Italy while everybody are focused on Premier individual behavior? A quotation from timesonline.co.uk:
« Lawyers for Silvio Berlusconi admitted yesterday that he could resign if a law giving him immunity from prosecution is struck down next month.
If the Constitutional Court, which begins its deliberations on October 6, overturns the law “there would be damage to the functions of an elected official, which could not be carried out”, Glauco Nori, a state lawyer for the Prime Minister’s office, said. The move could cause “irreparable damage” and lead to the Prime Minister’s resignation.
The law, which Mr Berlusconi pushed through Parliament last year after coming to power for the third time, gives immunity to him, as Prime Minister, and three other holders of high office: the President — a post to which he aspires — and the Speakers of both houses of parliament.
(…)
Opposition politicians claim that the law was “tailor-made” to shield Mr Berlusconi from corruption charges. At the time the legislation was passed he was on trial in Milan for allegedly giving the British lawyer David Mills a $600,000 bribe to provide false testimony on his behalf in corruption trials in the 1990s. Mr Berlusconi’s trial was suspended but Mr Mills was sentenced in February to 4½ years in prison.
If the immunity law is overturned, charges against Mr Berlusconi are likely to be revived. There are also reports that magistrates in Milan and Palermo are investigating the Prime Minister’s alleged links to the Mafia in the 1990s.
Mr Nori said that the immunity law was not only legitimate but also obligatory, since bringing corruption charges against the Prime Minister would “limit his ability to lead the country”. However, the Milan prosecutor’s office submitted its own memorandum to the court, arguing that the immunity law violated the principle that all citizens are equal before the law.»
Shouldn’t Italian care more about the dramatic change in their legal system than the new Berlusconi’s soap episode?
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