The View from Bologna

Tanti Auguri Silvio - It's nothing personal

Many happy returns to Silvio Berlusconi, celebrating his birthday. Well wishers (or spin-doctors?) on the Forza Italia official site posted gloriously over the top messages of congratulation: "Don't give up President, you're the only idol left in this disgusting world. Save us from Prodi and Bertinotti [left-wing opponents] - Many Happy Returns!".

Such devotion (let's not go over the top, calling it a 'cult of personality') to a political leader is nowadays rare, outside North Korea.

When meeting with Juventus boss Luciano Moggi recently, Silvio handed him a book entitled Berlusconi ti odio [Berlusconi I hate you], a compliation of all the insults directed his way over the years. The saviour of the nation said dejectedly, "Look Luciano, look how the left treat me".

And so, on the occasion of his illustrious birthday, it seems opportune to point out that this column has nothing personal against Silvio. On the contrary, he has provided much light hearted relief to this monkey over the last two years. No one cracks a joke like the Italian prime minister, whether intentional or not. His recurrent appearance in the column is not fuelled by any badmindedness, grudge, jealousy, or left wing leaning.

Opposition to Berlusconi is not a personal thing, but is rather based on a clear principle that should apply to all. The people making and modifying the laws of a country should not directly profit from the action. If you own almost half of the national tv broadcasters, you shouldn't be involved in regulating broadcasting. If you're under investigation for financial irregularities, you shouldn't be involved in legislation lessening the penalties for false accounting.

It's nothing personal. Just a question of good and bad government.

Tanti Auguri Silvio.

Siniscalco out - Tremonti in

After just over a year in office, Italian finance minister Domenico Siniscalco has resigned. Ostensibly provoked by the continuing inability of the Government to force the resignation of Banca Italia's discredited Governor Fazio.

Siniscalco commented: "The problem isn't Fazio, but the inability to resolve the problem. I'm not bitter about this: I'm scandalized."

Arguments over the latest finance bill can't have helped though, as the centre-right government coalition partners attempt to put in place a budget favourable to their different constituencies.

On Wednesday Berlusconi threatened his coalition partners. Based on elections in Japan and Germany, Berlusconi suggested that he would do the same and call early elections. Today, given the plausible opportunity of doing just that, Berlusconi's government instead nominated a new(ish) minister, Giulio Tremonti.

Hmm. That name is familiar isn't it? Ah, yes. Tremonti in July last year resigned as ... Finance minister.

What does it profit a man? Religious subtexts in the Fazio case.

"I won't finish in hell, but I'll do a thousand years in purgatory," banker Giampiero Fiorani joked about himself. A strangely religious outlook for a banker, one might think, particularly when faced with the more pressing concerns of avoiding a possible jail sentence. Fiorani is currently under investigation by the Milan magistrature for a number of suggested irregularities, such as false accounting, some of which impinge upon the controversial attempt by his bank, Banca Popolare Italiana, to take over the Banca Antonveneta SpA in the face of competition from Dutch bank ABN Amro.

Of course banking and religion are historically uncomfortable but constant bed partners. The Knights Templar gained both influence an notoriety partly due to their proto-banking system, whereby they arranged credit transfers from Northern Europe to Palestine for arriving and returning crusaders. During the Renaissance, the Vatican regularly blessed financial support from bankers such as the Medici family. Historical associations, cemented in Italy visibly by the fact that so many banks carry saints' name (including the ill-fated Banco Ambrosiano, named after Milan's patron saint). Historical associations, you might say. Not particularly relevant in the 21st century.

For weeks now the complicated affair surrounding the take over of the Banca Antonveneta SpA has dominated the Italian press and TV. Daily calls have come from various quarters for the Governor of the Bank of Italy, Antonio Fazio, to resign. The reason? Because leaked tapes of phone conversations have revealed a close connection between Fazio, his wife, and our aforementioned banker Fiorani. Fazio, as Governor, has within his gift the power to authorize bank take overs. Despite the advice of his bank staff, and the seemingly stronger position of ABN Amro, Fazio authorized the take over in favour of Fiorani's group BPI. In a telephone conversation, when Fazio broke this news to Fiorani, the purgatory bound banker™ (p.b.b) replied "I'll kiss you on the forehead", in thanks. No-one has thus far suggested that Fazio has acted illegaly. He worked within the rules, it would seem, but, as EU commissioner Charlie McCreevy pointed out, one can follow the rules without following the spirit of the rules.

On the face of it, the affair is one where the Bank of Italy favoured an Italian bank over stonger foreign rivals. A level beneath national protectionism is the fact that Governor Fazio and Fiorani are friends, and Fazio's adjudication on the takeover favoured the p.b.b.
As if this mix of economic nationalism and conflict of interest weren't enough, the latest addition to the controversy has been religion.

At first it was introduced subtly. It's no secret that Governor Fazio is a devout and pious Catholic. So too is Fioriani, according to La Repubblica. So too are many Italians, you might well point out. So when L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's newspaper, published a staunch defense of the Governor, claiming that a political lynching was underway and that "faith has nothing to do with it", it would have been unfair to read too much into it [though the expression 'the lady doth protest too much' did spring to mind].

It took the government party Forza Italia's spokesman on credit, Guido Crosetto, to move the subtext into the headlines. In an interview with the newspaper Libero, he commented about the affair that Italian banks "look tempting to many, especially the hordes of Jewish and American Freemasons that are already at the gates". He continued to suggest that various Italian politicians, such as Romano Prodi (Berlusconi's likely opponent in next year's elections) are in league with the infernal forces of masonic finance. According to a scathing editorial in the Corriere della Sera, Crosetto then went on to give a specific example, Merril Lynch "whose shareholders are [...] specifically Jewish".

This type of language, as the Corriere points out, is far too reminiscent of the 1930s for comfort. Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi, himself a one-time lodge member of P2, a masonic group intent on overthrowing the Italian State, took umbrage at the very idea that Forza Italia could be considered a racist party because of Crosetto's comments. They were "unfortunate", but how could anyone accuse his party of being anti-semitic. His government is, after all, one of Israel's best friends.

Last year this Monkey went to one of Italy's leading banks to witness the spectacle of someone trying to set up a direct debit. Blank faces, colleague conferences, and scratched heads greeted us while the staff tried to work out how this would be done. Approx. 40mins later, we had managed to explain the concept and suggest how it could be done. The bank staff looked sceptical, and later amazed when finally a footnote in procedure was found confirming the possibility of such an outlandish transaction.

Rather than subscribing to medieval paranoia in the face of European competition, Crosetto and Forza Italia would be better served by ensuring that Italian banks actually provide a competitive service to their customers. Or should Italian customers be consoled by the fact that the virtual monopoly, conflicts of interest, high prices and poor service, bad as they may be, at least come from the devout and Italian?

Ligabue - Largest single European concert ever

In 1999, on a cold November night in Dublin, at the MTV European Music Video awards, Luciano Ligabue took to the stage, briefly. The Italian rock star was greeted by a baffled audience. Part of the price of staging a 'European' event many presumed. An interlude between Ricky Martin and Britney Spears.

Last saturday, Ligabue played to around 200,000 people in Reggio Emilia, setting a record for the largest audience for a European concert by a single group/artist. The previous record, apparently, was held by U2 playing at the same venue to 146,000 people in 1997.

Ligabue's music is as Italian as U2's is Irish. He plays rock tunes that could fit on any American FM station, were it not for the language barrier.

This Monkey's not too sure what to make of attendance figures and record books, but the next time someone spouts out the line that 'music is a universal language', ask them where the largest single concert in Europe was, and by whom...

The Passion of Silvio Berlusconi.

Silvio Berlusconi, back in April, as he formed his second government of this legislature, admonished those in the Parliament who spoke of economic crises and a downturn in Italy's fortunes. It would become, he said, in English heavily-accented by his cheesy grin, 'a self fulfilling prophecy'.

It's hard to face the challenge against world communism (what? who said the cold war finished almost fifteen years ago??) when you have those of little faith amongst your own disciples. Berlusconi's centre-right Casa della Libertà coalition has started to show the signs of stress, with 'moderates' like Marco Follini* and his party colleague Pier Ferdinando Casini suggesting that perhaps it's time to think about a change in leadership.

After some heavy soul-searching, like Jesus in Gethsemene, Berluska last week addressed the question of the leadership. "Even though it costs me an enormous sacrifice to recandidate myself I can't see who could take my place," he said humbly to the Italian press who were covering his trip to Russia, to visit his fellow defender of democracy Vladimir Putin.

"If I think of someone from the other side [the Italian left] sitting at the table in my shoes with Putin, Bush or Blair, frankly it makes me feel ill," he continued. No doubt a feeling shared by B² and Putin collectively. Unless of course someone from the centre-right were to take his place. While he's convinced of his credentials, opinion polls suggest that as things stand the centre-left opposition have a 9 point lead.

A couple of days later he announced, surprisingly, that he would be willing to face his main rival Romano Prodi in a number of television debates before next year's election. In the last election, where he won, he refused to debate with the centre-left leader Francesco Rutelli. The conditions this time around? "The same time for both speakers, concrete questions, and impartiality both from the moderator and the studio*," Berlusconi outlined, in interview with one of his own magazines Panorama. Mr Berlusconi owns three out of seven national TV stations, partly controls appointments to three of the remaining four, and owns Italy's largest advertising company which places ads with all the channels.

Visions of Silvio: the popular leader, called to perform his duty at immense personal cost [spiritual no doubt, as his monetary fortunes have increased during his premiership] and to conduct the underdog battling to get his message to the people, hindered by a communist dominated media.

A man of vision, indeed. One can only hope that his reality-defying presentation of himself is part of some infernal marketing plot, dreamed up by teams of PR analysts buried deep in the bowels of his Mediaset organisation. The alternative - that he actually believes in this mythical person presented - is too worrying to contemplate.

Mobile Phone Throwing

Next year's annual Mobile Phone Throwing Championships may have some high profile Italian participants, judging on recent events dominating the news.

Justice Minister Roberto Castelli, Governor of the Bank of Italy Antonio Fazio, and the President of Genoa football club (Italy's oldest football club) Enrico Preziosi may all be queuing up to hurl a telefonino in the championships.

The sport of mobile phone throwing originated in Finland, where Nokia remains one of the biggest national assets. Recognising the importance of the mobile phone in our modern culture, the sport was designed to help alleviate tension when the indespensable tool malfunctions. The physical exercise of throwing the phone* cleanses the thrower of the angst experienced when batteries fail, coverage is non-existent etc.

Italy has an estimated 59 million mobile phone subscriptions, making it the third largest market in Europe for telecommunications. Not bad, considering the Italian population is an estimated 58 million inhabitants.

Our three proposed candidates for the Italian phone throwing squad share one common frustration with this modern invention: eavesdroppers. To be fair, the team includes normal telephones in their training.

First in line, and likely to be a heavyweight is Fazio, who, despite much controversy, still remains President of the Bank of Italy. He has found himself at the centre of an investigation into the propreity of the takeover of a local bank, Banca Antonveneta SpA, by the Banca Popolare Italiana. In wiretapped conversations, both Fazio and his wife were apparently recorded reassuring Popolare Italiana's Managing Director Gianpiero Fiorani about the takeover.
Fazio, as President of the Bank of Italy, is required to act impartially in authorizing or denying bank takeovers. Investigators have discoverd that he also over-ruled his own Bank of Italy advisors who suggested that Popolare Italiana did not have sufficient funding for the takeover. Dutch Bank ABN Amro had made an unsuccessful take over bid for the bank.

Next in line we have Genoa football club's ex-President Enrico Preziosi, who, after his team's demotion to Serie C,and his resignation, may well be looking for success in another sport. The club have just had a wonderful season in Serie B, being promoted to Serie A at the end of the season. Sporting success, though, is sometimes as fleeting as a mobile telephone signal. An investigation was opened into suspicious activities between players, and club officials, centring upon a crucial game between Genoa and Venezia. As quick as you could say either 'match fixing' or 'invasion of privacy', reports were surfacing of wiretapped conversations between the two club Presidents. Part of Preziosi's defence rested on the fact that the wiretaps were an invasion of privacy, not that the suspicious conversations hadn't taken place.

Finally, as a reserve thrower, we have Justice Minister Roberto Castelli, along with team coach Silvio Berlusconi. Both have predictably taken umbrage at the fact that wire-tapped conversations have made their way into the press, suggesting that there should be a tightening of the rules governing when conversations may or may not be published. Silvio, the great communicator, has even suggested that harsh prison sentences should face those who publish extracts from wire taps illegally (the majority of cases published in the press have, under current legislation, not been illegal). He termed it a 'scandal', that private conversations (regardless of their national import) could be published. Castelli, for his part, suggested that there was complicity between the magistrature and the press. Furthermore, both are intent on limiting wiretapping to cases such as the Mafia and terrorism. Presumably trivial matters like anti-competitive collusion, be it in the realm of banking or sport, are outside of this - harming, as they do, nobody (of import).

Italy has, according to Castelli's Justice ministry 106,249 subjects under surveillance. The telephone throwing squad is surely set for success in the coming years.

*There are officially two categories in the Mobile Phone Throwing. Traditional style i.e. over the shoulder throw, where the length of the throw is crucial. In Freestyle, the style is free
and the contestant gets points for aesthetics and creative choreographics from 4 to 10. In both categories the contestant with the highest score wins.