By Martin Banks - 7th October 2009
Parliament is not the place to settle political scores
Joseph Daul
A furious row has flared over a parliamentary debate on Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi's hold on his country's media.
EPP leader Joseph Daul branded Thursday's debate, where MEPs will be asked to back a resolution condemning alleged lack of press freedom in Italy, as a political stunt designed to "stir up dirt".
Daul, who comes from the same centre-right political family as the Italian, said, "Parliament is not the right place to debate a conflict concerning a member state.
"It is not for us as MEPs to pronounce on the behaviour of a national leader who has been democratically elected.
"The people who have initiated this are just stirring up dirt in an internal affair. It is political interference designed to discredit a political opponent.
"Parliament is not the place to settle political scores or undermine the credibility of a government in another country."
His comments were echoed by Mario Mauro, who leads the EPP Italian delegation.
He said, "The attack which has been unleashed by the left on Berlusconi is designed to destroy his reputation. He has been successful and the left cannot stomach this.
"There is not a monopoly of the media in my country but, rather, an abundance of press freedom."
The resolution which MEPs are being asked to support may also call on the EU to open proceedings against Italy on the grounds of violation of media freedom.
The row comes after thousands of Italians took to the streets of Rome on Saturday to protest at what they see as a lack of press freedom in their country.
An open letter signed by nine MEPs says Italy is the only western democracy where the prime minister exercises direct control over three TV channels he owns.
Berlusconi also has indirect control over three public channels as well as owning several newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and the largest publishing house in the country.
It says Berlusconi has recently sued several newspapers from Italy, France, and Spain and that parliament is "studying the possibility" of taking a position on the risk of a violation to media freedom in Italy.
The letter is signed by MEPs Sonia Alfano, Rosario Crocetta, Sylvie Guillaume, Sarah Ludford, Luigi de Magistris, Claude Moraes, Vincent Peillon, Judith Sargentini and Gianni Vattimo.
It says, "The demonstrations for media freedom in Rome, Paris, London and other European cities, demonstrate the public's desire for action on this issue.
"The European institutions have the authority to condemn intimidation of the press in Italy, and potentially to open legal proceedings according to article seven of the treaties.
"This authority should be exercised to guarantee that the right to freedom of information is respected.
The lack of a European response to the intimidation of the press in Italy poses a direct threat to the right of liberty of expression throughout the EU, puts in jeopardy progress in former Soviet countries admitted into the EU, and limits the authority of any European condemnation of censorship in the rest of the world."
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