Newsgroup: it.politica.polo
Titolo: Financial Times: Berlusconi difende gli interessi dell'Italia o di Arcore?

Berlusconi's allies defend stance on arrests
By James Blitz in Rome
Published: December 9 2001 18:20 | Last Updated: December 9 2001 18:29
Senior figures in Italy's centre-right government on Sunday hit out at
European Union plans to create a common European arrest warrant, arguing
that the move would allow public prosecutors to conduct politically
motivated witch-hunts across the continent.
As Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister, prepared to face his most serious
crisis since coming to power six months ago, leading allies pressed him to
take a tough stance against the introduction of the warrant at next week's
EU heads of government summit in Laeken.
After two days of intense talks among EU justice ministers last week, Italy
continues to be isolated within the EU over the terms for the introduction
of the warrant. Following the terrorist attacks in the US, 14 of the 15 EU
states want the warrant to cover some 32 crimes ranging from terrorism to
financial fraud. After calling for the list to be restricted to just six
items, Italy says it will accept the full list, as long as it is gradually
phased in between now and 2007.
Guy Verhofstadt, the Belgian premier, whose country holds the EU presidency,
is due in Rome on Tuesday for last-ditch talks with Mr Berlusconi aimed at
breaking the deadlock. But over the weekend, he emphasised that an accord
could well be reached without Italy - through the instrument of "reinforced
co-operation" - if necessary.
Italy's isolation over the warrant is proving to be traumatic for a country
that has been unfailingly at the heart of the process of European
integration for 40 years. "This is the first time that Italy has chosen to
set itself apart and not participate in an agreed political and
institutional development. . . since the foundation of the European
community," said Renato Ruggiero, Italy's foreign minister, in an interview
with Il Mattino newspaper. "But there's always hope."
But Giulio Tremonti, finance minister, staunchly defended the government's
disapproval of the new arrest warrant. "This business of the warrant is a
sign that when it comes to drawing up laws, we're going back to the
pre-enlightenment age," he said in an interview with La Stampa.
Mr Tremonti was particularly scathing about the figure of Baltasar Garzon,
the Spanish judge who has investigated Mr Berlusconi in the past on fraud
charges. Mr Tremonti accused Mr Garzon of "dying of the desire to lock up
his victims . . . and throw away the key".
Mr Berlusconi came under strong attack on Sunday from newspaper columnists
who say the government opposes the warrant because of judicial problems
faced by him and some of his allies.
In an unusually virulent front-page editorial in the Milan daily Corriere
Della Sera, Enzo Biagi, a respected columnist, said he had the strong
impression that when Mr Berlusconi talked about defending the interests of
the "homeland", he was really referring to his own home in Arcore. "Someone
accused of fiscal fraud is deceiving the Italian people," he wrote.
Another leading columnist. Eugenio Scalfari, wrote on the front page of
left-leaning la Repubblica: "The damage is done, the international image of
our government is already in ruins and the impact both at home and abroad is
devastating."

 wrote:

Veramente l'articolo spiega che Berlusconi difende i SUOI interessi...
riporta poi le colossali stronzate dette da TreConti e Castelli (vini
dei), lasciando allo humor dei suoi lettori di divertirsi alle nostre
spalle.
E.
Berlus si calma: niente retroattivitŕ! hanno garantito che non lo arresteranno!

 ha scritto nel messaggio
news:3c163e6c...@news.libero.it...

Il titolo che gli ha dato Rada infatti era in sintonia con l'humor
dell'articolo. Ovvio che ormai tutto il mondo non ha piů dubbi, solo in
itaglia i cretini hanno ancora il coraggio di domandarsi a chi serve il
rifiuto al mandato di cattura. Da notare anche come viene presa sul serio la
cosa all'estero mentre i Vespa nostrani ne parlano come di una bazzeccola...