In the week that Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset announced a take over of Dutch programming giant Endemol, as if by coincidence, Romano Prodi’s government are starting to chart the waters for a new law on conflicts of interest.

Good luck to them. There is, perhaps, no other country in the EU that needs such a law so urgently.

A culture change left-and-right would be needed though to have any effective legislation passed – and this is not just down to Silvio ‘Grande Fratello‘ Berlusconi.

An example: Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, the leader of the minnow-like UDEUR party commented to his government colleagues today, according to Repubblica – ” We’ll draw up a new electoral law that I propose. In this way the government and coalition will not just last out it’s term, but we’ll win the next election”. If his colleagues decide not to choose his proposed new electoral law, which will favour small parties such as his own, the implication is clear, according to the paper. He’ll bring down the government, starting with the already risky conflict of interest bill (risky because there are those who fear it will paint Berlusconi, one of the richest and most powerful men in Europe, as a victim).

Mastella started his career in the Christian Democrat party (DC) – like Romano Prodi, amongst others in the currently elected Parliament. A party that ruled Italy throughout most of the post-war period up until the 1990s when it was was shattered by revelations of widespread corruption.

Grim Business
Meanwhile it was reported today that the Mafia in Foggia have been charging a pizzo (protection money) to funeral undertakers. The gangsters get a payoff for each body buried. Another conflict of interest…

[1] “Io ai miei colleghi di lavoro l’ho detto chiaro e tondo: facciamo la legge elettorale che propongo io. In questo modo governo e coalizione non solo arriveranno fino in fondo alla legislatura ma vinceranno anche le prossime elezioni” – Repubblica 16/05