Did you say conflict of interest ?

Like in most democratic countries, in Italy, the Supreme Court (Corte Costituzionale-Constitutional Court) is, with the President of the Republic, is the last defence against abuses of power by the government and the Parliament. This is even more important now after Berlusconi stated that he will run the country by decrees, thus avoiding Parliamentary debates.

The Court needs to review several cases submitted by judges concerning alleged unconstitutionality of decrees approve by Berlusconi’s government, two in particular that protect him from legal proceedings while he is Prime Minister.

One seat at the Supreme Court is vacant and it is up to the majority, i.e. Berlusconi’s lead coalition, to make the nominations to the Parliament. Who did they recommend ? a certain Pecorella whose main qualifications are that he has been for years the personal lawyer of Berlusconi itself.

Imagine, a former lawyer of Berlusconi, who owes all his political success to the latter, member of the Supreme Court called to review appeals against laws “ad personam” made to protect Berlusconi’s private interests.

All normal here for the members of Berlusconi’s party and its (ex)Fascist and neo-fascist allies. Ethics, conflict of interest ? concepts unknown to them.

Ethics Italian style - 1

The Italian industrialists association ( Confindustria) was lead until a few months ago by Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Ferrari’s president. Although he liked too much to play the one who knows everything, giving lessons to everybody, his attitude towards mafia and corruption were a breath of fresh air and remarkable. He denounced tax evaders and expelled from the association firms that had paid “il pizzo”, a “voluntary” contribution to Mafia, what people call in Sicily insurance”.

Another leading member of the industrialists association, Mr Della Valle, even told Berlusconi what he thought of him, in front of the other industrialists.

He was succeeded by Ms Marcegaglia who, on the contrary, is like a carpet in front of Berlusconi. Of course Berlusconi wants to forbid wiretapping for corruption, for example, and bankruptcy. And this is personally welcome by Ms Marcegaglia whose group recently reached a judicial agreement in the amount of 750,000 € (1.150,000 $) of fine and of 5.5 millions € (7.75 million $) of money seized and 11 months jail term for Ms,. Marcegaglia’s brother. Why ? Corruption of managers of a state owned company to win a contract.

Are these the ethics of Italian industrialists ? Is Ms. Marcegaglia representative of their way of doing business ?

Dio li fa e poi li accoppia (God makes them, then puts them together ) Italians say. No wonder she loves Berlusconi.

Source (re Marcegaglia) : M. Travaglio, L’Espresso, 19 June 2008

Picture : www.confindustria.it

Ethics French style

When he was elected President of France, many people wrote that Sarkozy was trying to imitate Berlusconi. AS people say in Italy “Dio li fa e poi li accoppia” (God makes them then marries them).

Even before becoming President, Sarkozy imitated Berlusconi concerning the Press. But, not being rich like Berlusconi, who controls private and public TV (the latter being the Prime Minister) he acted using his friends who own Newspapers, TV stations and Magazines.

So he managed to get fired the Director of the “best” (if this is ever possible) people magazine in France, Paris Match, because the magazine had published a picture of him with his girl-friend (his wife had just left him for a man she recently married, after a short come back with the President).

Now he is after the Public Television. Using the excuse that Public Television must educate the masses, he decided to suppress publicity. The end result ? : a new tax (not bad for a liberal…) on internet and cellular companies broadcasting TV programs as well on the income made by private TV stations on publicity. And cuts in programming and production of Public TV to compensate for the financial loss that will not be covered by the new taxes: quality is priceless, i.e. you can make it cheap. And of course now all TV ads will be on the private TV channels that will have even more money to produce the trash people love. Needless to say, private TV stations belong to Sarkozy’s friends , those same who lend him yachts and private jets for his vacations…..

Icing on the cake, he also introduced a new way for nominating the Head of Public Television: it will be he himself….(with a mechanism still confused by which a Commission, nominated b y the Government, thus by him) will have to give its consent.

Ethics French and Italian style, a real SarkBerlusconi

Picture: www.repubblica.it