Berlusconi 'threatens democracy' in Italy

Berlusconi: Poacher and gamekeeper of Italian media

A European media freedom watchdog has said democracy is at risk in Italy, following the election victory of media magnate Silvio Berlusconi.

Freimut Duve, representative on the Freedom of the Media for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, told a conference in Germany, that the separation of powers between the government and the media was in danger of becoming blurred.

He called on Mr Berlusconi to "make a radical separation between his media firms and governmental tasks".

He added: "There is now the danger in Italy that from now on journalists will no longer be able to openly criticise the head of government."

'Disappointed' with EU

Mr Berlusconi, owner of three television networks, won Italy's general election earlier this month.

Freimut Duve says Italy may ruin his work in south-east Europe

His coalition partners have since been threatening a purge of left-wing journalists and executives from the state television company, Rai.

Mr Duve, described the independence of journalistic media from government control as a cornerstone of parliamentary democracy.

He said he was disappointed by the cautious reaction of European Union member states to the developments in Italy.

Fourteen EU states, including Italy, froze bilateral diplomatic relations with Austria after the far-right Freedom Party joined government in February last year, but that policy is now widely believed to have been a failure.

Bad example

Danish Foreign Minister Mogens Lykketoft said recently that EU states would in future respond to the way governments behave, instead of what they say.

Big changes at Rai are not expected until the two houses of the Italian parliament have appointed speakers, which is likely to be in early June.

The speakers name Rai's board of directors, three of whom traditionally come from the government camp, and two from the opposition camp.

Mr Duve's primary role is to monitor and encourage the development of democratic media climate in the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe.

He said his ability to fulfil this role on would be jeopardised if Italy gave a bad example to neighbouring states in south-east Europe.

Tuesday, 15 May, 2001, 19:09 GMT 20:09 UK

Italy election victors seek TV purge

Mr Fini described Rai coverage as "scandalous"

One of the key figures in Italy's victorious centre-right alliance has demanded large-scale sackings at the state-owned television network, Rai.

Gianfranco Fini, who is being considered for the post of deputy prime minister in Silvio Berlusconi's government, said a new leadership could be in place at the network by mid-June.

Mr Berlusconi's media interests alarm many

Mr Berlusconi, a controversial billionaire media tycoon, won a comfortable majority in Sunday's general election. He is now considering his new cabinet line-up.

Opponents say that as prime minister, Mr Berlusconi will effectively control Rai as well as its main competitor Mediaset - giving him influence over six of Italy's eight main channels.

Mr Berlusconi has said he wants to put together a new government quickly, and hopes to have his list of ministers ready before being officially asked to form an administration.

Transformation promised

Mr Berlusconi has promised a profound transformation of the Italian state, with the emphasis on tax cuts, education and public works.

Throughout the election campaign the right accused Rai TV of unfair bias. Mr Fini branded Rai's coverage of the campaign as "scandalous".

"If the new presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are elected on May 30, there will be a new Rai management around mid-June," said Mr Fini.

Rai comprises three television stations and a number of radio stations.

At the centre of the bias debate was a programme which Rai broadcast called Satyricon. It featured an interview with a author who had written a book critical of the origin of Mr Berlusconi's fortune.

Satire debate

Mr Berlusconi's subsequent attack on the programme sparked a huge media debate over the nature of satire and what is acceptable.

But correspondents in Italy have said that the claims of bias are unfounded and that Rai TV is perceived to be balanced in its reporting.

They also say that whilst the heads of the TV network are political appointees they display no particular political leanings.

Mr Fini also pledged that the new government would resolve the conflict of interest between Mr Berlusconi's political responsibilities in the government and his personal fortune.

Media empire

Through his Fininvest holding, Mr Berlusconi or members of his family control three television networks, Italy's leading weekly Panorama and the newspaper Il Giornale, and own 48.3% of the Mediaset television group.

His centre-right alliance won an absolute majority in both houses of parliament.

A BBC correspondent in Rome says the poor showing by the anti-immigrant Northern League may even allow Mr Berlusconi to govern without its support.

It was the League which brought down the previous Berlusconi administration in 1994 after just seven months.

International response

US President George Bush has congratulated Mr Berlusconi and the State Department said Washington hoped to "enjoy co-operation and a fruitful relationship" with his government.

A US official noted that the United States had worked well Mr Berlusconi's first government in 1994.

But Italy's European, mostly socialist neighbours, remained nervous at the prospect of a Berlusconi administration.

French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said his government would be "attentive and, if need be, vigilant", over the Italian regime.

There has also been criticism in Europe over the media mogul's vast business interests and numerous criminal charges brought against him, including tax fraud, bribery and illegal party funding, which he denies.

The BBC's Brian Barron reported:
"Never before in modern Europe has a Prime Minister prepared for office still owning vast chunks of the country's media…this state of affairs would be unthinkable in any of Italy’s Europeans neighbours…however, the Italian public have voted for him and appear not to care about any conflict of interest" (Barron, 2001)

Source: BBC NEWS: Wednesday, 23 May, 2001, 16:05 GMT 17:05 UK

It should be noted that advertising on Italian television, cinema and radio, prior to the Italian election, was reported to be heavily in favour of Mr Silvio Berlusconi…perhaps the Italian people believe everything they hear and see from their media…or perhaps the options available were unthinkable.