Newsgroup: italia.savona.discussioni
Titolo: chi di economist ferisce...

The left in Italy
Scuola di scandalo
Jan 8th 2009 | ROME
From The Economist print edition
A sad lesson that scandal is not the preserve of the right
WALTER VELTRONI, leader of Italy's main opposition Democratic Party (PD), 
asserted recently that his was a "party of good people". Mesmerised by the 
spectacle of a prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, whose political career has 
been lived one step ahead of the courtroom, most non-Italians have been 
prepared to take such remarks at face value. Italy's centre-left may be a 
bit dull and worthy, and somewhat tarnished by the communist past of many of 
its leaders (including Mr Veltroni). But, give or take a rotten apple, it 
has always seemed fundamentally honest.
Yet in little more than a month, that benign view has been swept away in a 
slew of prosecutors' warrants and summonses. On January 5th the centre-left 
mayor of Naples, Rosa Russo Iervolino, unveiled a new and reshuffled city 
administration. There were six new faces in her 16-strong team. Four of 
their predecessors had been arrested on suspicion of taking part in what 
prosecutors claim was a plan for the "systematic looting" of public funds. A 
fifth had committed suicide after he too came under investigation for 
corruption and other alleged offences.
 The scandal in Naples, which revolves around a ?400m ($545m) 
public-services contract, is the most substantial but by no means the only 
one to have assailed the opposition. Since the end of November, centre-left 
politicians have been put under suspicion, or even arrest, in seven other 
cities and regions.
The PD was created by a merger between a party composed of former communists 
who had disowned Marxism and another that provided a home for the more 
progressively inclined Christian Democrats, whose movement collapsed in a 
welter of graft allegations in the early 1990s. The Christian Democrats were 
known for their cronyistic, patronage-based style of politics. Now it seems 
that old practices die hard, and that they have infected parts of the PD 
like a cancer.
The devastating impact of corruption allegations on the opposition was 
highlighted in mid-December, when Mr Berlusconi's party swept to victory in 
an election in Abruzzo. The vote had been forced by the resignation in July 
of the PD's regional governor after he was arrested and jailed, accused of 
taking a ?6m bribe. The PD's share of the vote plunged from 35% three years 
ago to less than 20%. A rival opposition party, the Italy of Principles 
party, increased its share of the vote fivefold to 15%.
Italy of Principles is led by Antonio Di Pietro, a former prosecutor who 
leapt to national prominence when he tried to nail Mr Berlusconi in court in 
the so-called "clean hands" anti-corruption drive of 1992-94. Since his old 
adversary was returned to power last April, he has been more vigorous in 
opposition than Mr Veltroni, and was gaining on the PD leader even before 
the Abruzzo poll. But Mr Di Pietro too has now had his wings clipped. His 
son, Cristiano, a provincial lawmaker, quit the party after he was caught up 
in the Naples sleaze inquiry. Transcripts were leaked of telephone 
conversations in which he seemed to be asking for jobs and advancement for 
his friends.
The sole beneficiary of the scandals is Mr Berlusconi, who has found himself 
in the novel position of being able to talk reproachfully and credibly of a 
"moral issue" facing his rivals. Their embarrassment offers him more than a 
short-term advantage. He has signalled that his main initiative in 2009 will 
be a reform of the judiciary that critics fear will hobble the magistrates 
who have pursued him for more than 15 years. To push through such 
controversial changes, Mr Berlusconi needs to stake out the moral high 
ground. Thanks to the left, for perhaps the first time in his long and 
tempestuous political career he may now be able to do so.

 The left in Italy
Topo, ma tu NON sei normale. Ma una coscienza critica non ce l'hai? Va 
SEMPRE e SOLO bene? Ma ti pagano?
Pagliotz.

non mi pare che vada tanto bene se si legge l'articolo... volevo solo far 
notare che dell'economist qualcuno legge solo gli articoli che gli 
garbano... 

 Ma ti pagano?
una risposta seria a questa ottima domanda
potrebbe fornire l'unica giustificazione accettabile
alle posizioni propagandate dal topo  :)
a proposito di posizioni, meglio il kamasutra  :) 

 a proposito di posizioni, meglio il kamasutra  :)
condivido... studiamo... e sperimentiamo... 

 condivido... studiamo... e sperimentiamo...
già siamo d'accordo su due o tre cose
...non ti pare ...preoccupante??  ;P