Peter Popham: Mills’ conviction is an anti-climax
Milan Notebook: What moral should be drawn from Mills’s conviction and four-and-a-half-year jail sentence?
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Independent Minds
It was billed as the trial of the year. But in the end last week’s climax of the prosecution of Silvio Berlusconi and his British lawyer David Mills, below, for bribery and corruption was a non-event. It took place in a dingy, half-empty courtroom at the rear end of Milan’s vast and stupefying Tribunale, Fascist architecture at its most bleakly oppressive. Neither of the accused even showed his face at the trial; Mills sent apologies and justifications, but Berlusconi was not even virtually present: his latest ad personam law, granting him immunity from prosecution throughout his term in office, extracted him from the case half way through.
What moral should be drawn from Mills’s conviction and four-and-a-half-year jail sentence? Using a long spoon to sup with the devil seems inadequate. During his many years in Berlusconi’s service, Mills helped to construct a network of offshore shell companies for the media billionaire. Was the use that Berlusconi made of them none of his business? For a former Socialist councillor, married to a Socialist cabinet minister, this seems a woefully reductive claim.
The accounts were used to pay Berlusconi’s late patron, Bettino Craxi, millions in bribes, to pay a bribe of $434,000 to a Roman judge, to cheat the Italian exchequer out of millions. It was in a case regarding that last abuse that Mills was fatally uneconomical with the truth.
Thanks to the statute of limitations it is unlikely that David Mills’ little difficulty in Milan will ever result in any time spent in prison. He has many powerful friends in London, and the case is probably being laughed off at Islington dinner parties as I write. But the connivance in Italian perfidy of a man so close to the pinnacle of the Labour party is morally outrageous.
A stigma re-emerges
Racial hostility to new immigrants has provoked fears that Italy is returning to the climate of the 1930s, when Mussolini’s race laws stigmatised Jews. So is there a sinister message on the front of the current Italian edition of Wired: a picture of the Nobel-winning Jewish-Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who turns 100 in April, with the coverline “ItAliens”?
Booting out the Bishop
The world was aghast to learn that British Lefebvrian “Bishop” Richard Williamson disbelieves in the gas chambers, yet Pope Benedict welcomed him back into the Church. Now Williamson is about to be booted out of Argentina, having lost his job there. Perhaps this brilliant Pope had it planned all along.
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Comments
The European Union should kick Italy out the Union until Berlusconi can prove he is a democrat an/or he sends himself off to jail where he belongs. WHAT a foul man. And WHAT a foul man for Mills to have had anything to do with.
well, also in the cyberspace exist people aware of the subtle work of anti-italians like you.
what are you talking about? forgetting the truth? forgetting the facts? isn't it true that that exscuse of a man of mr B is a corrupt mafia man and very dangerous? isn't it a fact that mr Mills has taken bribes money from mr. B?
it is not a question of being anti-italian, is a question of looking at the facts, and the truth is mr B should be put to jail for the rest of his life.
also you're probably closer to lalaland than cyberspace
You are right, at the moment Italy does not meet any European standard about democract and information independence, but where have been EU so far ? is it plausible that EU is regulating about anything about cheese aging to sugar doses and does not feel something should be said about a situation which is by any mean outside democracy ?
I am Italian and as I am traveling abroad people pose me always the same question "how could Italians elect him once again ?", the asnwer is straightforward and easy : he has the complete control of the media, it may appear weird but he started to work on it 30 years ago. All the media are somehow fidelized, one of the top anchormen (Enrico Mentana, http://www.corriere.it/politica/09_febb
If I read history correctly, anti-semitism was not as widespread in Italy as it was, for instance, in France. Italian Jews were very thinly spread out over the territory, except for Rome, and were very well integrated. The antisemitic laws were a sort of favor done to Hitler, a sign of two dictators thinking alike. It was more an elite than a people thing.
Nowadays racism is a people thing. I live in Northern Italy and I perceive the deep hostility of large swaths of the population against immigrants, particularly blacks and Roma. Since, at least until now, immigrants were needed for manual labor, the industrial elites are less hostile to them than common people.
Why so? I do not know. My guess is that many Italians still do not believe in the economic miracle. They are afraid of losing the prosperity they have enjoyed in the past decades, and, in their anxiety, look for scapegoats. But then I may be wrong.
As regards the pope "welcoming" Williamson back into the church, I would have thought the verb "allowing" would be more apposite. Holocaust denial, although a peculiar belief, is not an excommunicable offence. Permitting oneself to be consecrated bishop against the orders of the Vatican, however, is: Pope Benedict has, doubtless in an act of charity, seen fit to lift that punishment now and obviate the dire consequences that the church believes attend such punishment.
Mr Popham should stick to what he knows about, although I guess that would mean that the Independent's Italian coverage would shrink somewhat.
First, Mr. Popham forgot that the milan judiciary are ideologically against Mr. Berlusconi, they mounted more that 500 accuses against him, no one, by now, has been a sound one.
also in Mr. Mills case, the president of the three judges court, is a notorious leftist, who wrote articles on magazines against Berlusconi.
In another country the defendant would been entitled to ask to change the judge for "inimicitia" , in Italy no.
and we have a pillar of judiciary system, you are the culprit after the second trial, or the third in case judges misbehaving, so Mr. Mills has a fair probability to be cleared..
This is the new battle Berlusconi is leading against the judiciary system - he is strongly aiming at making judges subordinate to politics, violating one of the most important principles of democracy.
You should not forget that the so called "toghe rosse" (red robes, as Mr B. uses to call "communist" judges - that is all judges - since 15 years) belong to a system which has a huge amount of self-discipline to avoid violation of any rules or the law - if a judge is mistaken he will hardly get away with it.
The 500 accuses against Berlusconi in any decent country would lead a person to avoid any public responsibility - not in Italy.
The fact Berlusconi was never sentenced (definitely) is there only thanks to the laws he made for himself, like shortening statute of limitations and many many others.
His lifelong friendship with Marcello Dell'Utri, a person sentenced at the third and definitive trial to jail as a Mafia collaborator, is just one of the scandals that surround Mr. B's career.
Even if we remove any practical accusation against Berlusconi there is one thing that cannot be denied in any way - he is one of the worst person Italy has ever had morally speaking, and I'm talking about universal values - he is too powerful to be condemned for anything, and he is not hiding his power. His declaration on any possible topic, his inappropriate comments, his abuse of his role, his totally absent understanding of democracy, his disrespect of any instititution, his lousy jokes, make him a horrible person, that can only be admired by his equally horrible voters (yes, there are many unfortunately), that would only like to be rich like him without having to care about anything and anybody else.
Very little hope for Italy - very sad
1. the italian judges are not "toghe rosse"? this is a partial view of the truth. in the Communist Party school, in a place named Le Frattocchie, close to Rome, many young communist with a law degree have been educated to enter in the judiciary ranks, an example, the Salvi brothers, one was an important member of the leftist Nomenklatura, the other is a judge, who has been also president of judiciary Union...
2. the assault on Mr. B. stronghold happened when he won the 1994 polls, before no judges payed any attention to his behaviour or business. notwithstanding were three years that judges were trying to modify the Republic using imprisonment ant psychological tortures to make confess the socialists and democratic christians middle ranking to have been bribed. MP di Pietro was the hero of this period, with also a couple of suicides on his, quite large, shoulders.
3. to describe the PM as an horrible person is just a personal evaluation, the PM appraisal in Italy is around the 60% of voters, and, thanks God, the minority which is insulting his country also abroad is just a feeble one, without any possibility to destroy Italy in the next, at least, twelve years.
I know any answer I may write will be opposed by you through ready-made objections, with not relation to reality - but still I cannot stop but say a few things:
I'm not insulting Italy, the opposite is true - I think it is a great country and that's why I'm saddened seeing it ruined by the political class holding it.
I'm not even saying that those 60% of people who (apparently) approve the Prime Minister are bad people - they've just been led to think that he is the saviour, and after 20 years of media control they have lost their ability to see and judge reality.
Your first comment about judges doesn't even deserve to be answered - Borsellino, Di Pietro, De Magistris - all judges that are far from being leftists.
Berlusconi has been investigated many times before his political life began (which we all know he had to start to avoid going to jail) - and kept being investigated afterwards. More than 10 trials has ended only thanks to special laws he made himself or statute of limitations - he was involved in tens of cases which even without legal implication would have led a decent person to take a step backwards and face like a normal citizen justice.
But he is above justice and is now becoming truly so - he is the Italian "anomaly" and fortunately all international observators will agree with me and the best Italian ones too.
The so called First Republic ended in a harsh way, when the huge amount of corruption was discovered - many could not hold the shame of it and even committed suicide, an unfortunate thing, but that's what probably shows the burden they had kept for so long in their conscience.
It could have been a moment of rebirth, but unfortunately Berlusconi and his gang were able to take control of the country thanks to the links prepared for him by previous corrupted politics - and the new Berlusconi Republic began, much worse than the previous one.
My personal opinion on Berlusconi is shared by millions of people in Italy and abroad - thanks to Berlusconi Italy is ridiculed all over the world - I know that it angers, I'm angry too, but unlike you I know exactly the reason.
Your bunch of calumnies are typical of di Pietro parrots.
When I answered you, I never used terms like brainwashing, absent minded or to be part of a "gang"!!!
how you dare to insult the others in this way...?
what I wrote were pure facts, yours are speculations or worst.
Denigrate people forced to commit suicide by a real fascist as Mr. di Pietro was and is, would mean you are really cruel!!
You, and the people like you are permanently calumniating your your fatherland and the majority of true Italians.
The Italian anomaly is to filled up with nose up arrogant leftist, who are not able to understand the common italian, because the philippine butler do not report in the their villas how Italians feelings are.
you think that the Italians are so uneducated, not even able to read or speak another language than you can depict an Italy which exists only in your mind.
oh, I was forgetting, be careful there in UK could be that you will be fired, because you are italian and UK economy is melting down..
not the italian one
I did not insult you - all my attacks were against Berlusconi.
I'm not fascist, in fact I'm also jewish - oh, but Berlusconi maybe is a bit fascist, for sure he is allied with many people who still depict Mussolini as a great statist. The way in which he uses power is certainly fascist.
I have no butler and I'm afraid I understand quite well common people feelings.
I'm also amused by your accusations of being both a fascist and a leftist... dear reader, you see whom we are dealing with?
You are right though, I don't like stupidity and too many are stupid - I would like to see a country where more people study, more people are involved in the country they belong to, not just everybody minding his own business.
Yes, many people are like that, in Italy more than in many other places. The hope is always for new generations to be better, despite the moral example they see.
Yes, I might be fired because of this economic downturn, I'm not afraid. But don't think Italy is in a better position, many things are hidden under the carpet... and Italian economy was in a much worse position from the beginning, that's why we are still not noticing much.
I'm answering you just because this is not a private communication, and maybe other people can read and see how sad is the Italian debate, where the Prime Minister is like God - unfortunately it's in Italy we should make people understand, abroad the picture is much clearer and everybody knows Berlusconi for what he truly is.
Italy has to be better than this.
I defined you as leftist, and the fact that you are also a Jew is absolutely non influential, or I just add that at least this politic class is not anti-semite, as the previous, leftist, one was.
the issue is another, beside your kind definition as stupid, what I consider facts for you are lies, and viceversa.
But whereas I can cite historical facts, you affirm judiciary facts, that many times are just the opinions of judges, as our history tell us.
do you remember Mr. Tortora case?
Besides, what does Tortora's case has to do with it - I'm not saying that a judge cannot make mistakes, but this doesn't imply that the whole system is like that - investigation is compulsory by law and hundreds of cases against Berlusconi cannot be discharged by simply saying it's a political attack - this is not realistic, as many and many TRUE FACTS tell us.
And as I keep repeating, it is also a matter of opportunity - in the US a minister has just resigned due to 900$ of unpaid tax for a house-maid, without trials or official accusations - in Israel I remember Mr. Rabin, may he rest in peace, that once has resigned because his wife had a problem with 200$ paid without receipt.
In Italy this is not happening, Berlusconi used to say that since taxes are so high it is morally acceptable not to pay them.
I think we can cut it here, I'm sorry if I said things that you personally felt as offending, I never meant direct them to you - I have a clear opinion shared by many I admire. It's obvious you have yours and I won't change it by writing posts in a thread - I hope history will change it for you!
Regards
Beside this, our president just today signed a bilateral agreemen with France for the proliferation of nuclear powerstations in Italy, against the will of the Italian people, expressed by a referendum in 1987.
We need the intervention of the EU.
Many factors concur to the uneasiness of italians:
1. persons involved in crimes hardly are new immigrants, but clandestine immigrants.
2. anti-Semitism is typical of the leftist and catholic church, always ready to protect arabs from allegedly Israel crimes. Jews in Italy can fear all but government, which is pro Israel.
3. poor Montalcini, she is life senatrix, and forced many times to vote Mr.Prodi shameful coalition who designated her.. but Italy is proud of her as scientist and women symbol.
Hostility, therefore, is just against illegal immigrants acting as rapist, burglars and pimps.
Last year, on Holocaust Remembrance Day in January, the same school held an exhibition on Mussolini's "race laws" against Jews, including a pamphlet in Italian describing their history. I have a copy of this, and as a professional translator, I could translate it for anyone interested - or provide a summary.
If "The Independent" could publish a long interview with Profssa. Montalcini to mark the 100th birthday in April of this remarkable lady, they would be doing progressive people in Britain and Italy and elsewhere a big favour. She still works everyday at the scientific institute she founded in Rome to encourage young women in developing countries to study science, and until quite recently she was also politically active too.She regularly publishes books on many subjects, including education. Her own speciality is neuro-science, and all things considered, she's a walking, talking advertisement for it. " 3 Cheers!" to her, and a few million boos to the racists who still go on 60 years after Auswitz was closed making life so difficult for so many people all over Europe. George Wright geowrit@etabeta.it
If you feel for some reason that the democratically elected government of Mr B. is under menace, then I would like to reassure you, it is not. Likely his coalition hasn't been so strong, his figure has been so energic since ever: he has the people on his side (people after all voted for him), he has the numbers in the parliament (one of the strongest majority of the Republic), he has a large part of the media which are not obstile to him at least.
He has just to do something, frankly speaking (no sarcasm intended here) he is the only one who could do something. Berlusconi, please do something, somethig real.
I intervene on this blog, just to pinpoint that I do not like italians racist against italians, why we should implore the EU intervention as for a Silvio hurricane struck Italy?
I have close friends and relatives reporting me that situation in Italy is not so bad on the economic versant, but people feelings are getting very dangerous on the security issues. and nobody is accusing Berlusconi, but the church and the leftist to have been too tender with some ethnical groups. for istance the Rom or gipsies...
I agree with you, as the majority of italians, ... if not Berlusconi, who could save us?
Frankly speaking I do not like him, but this is not an issue - I am pragmatic enough to vote for him if his action would be beneficial for Italy and for the Italians. However, in my view, this is not the case.
You mentioned secureness. Italy has a security problem ? it is a way of looking at it, in my opinion a country with 5,4 policemen / 1000 inhabitants as opposed to 2,6 of France, Germany, and Spain which decided to put the army in the streets does not have a secureness problem, rather it has a big problem with its political class, the worst political class of the western world.
As usual, italian politicians (not capital i here) are simply unable to let things work: if you leave your car with the keys in in a French Slum or elsewhere in Europe you can only blame yourself if someone has stolen your car, italian politician at any level left the country with the keys in and now are blaming the Romanians. The budget cuts to the judicial system and to police has been massive, now they are looking for scapegoats - but especially they are unable to make any difference between who works with some merit and those who are lazy or unable to do what they are in charge of.
It is not far from the truth saying that most of the italian politicians are corrupt, sometimes ignorant, less educated than their colleagues abroad (none of them owns a doctorate in contrast with what you have in many other European countries), uninterested in doing something for letting the society progress, most of the time simply intellectually and ethically unfit.
Am I racist ?
I do not know which politician are you referring, but starting with PM, who has a 110on110 law degree followed by Mr. Tremonti that is a university lecturer, down to the poor Ms Carfagna who also has a law degree, too many lawyers are in the italian parliament..
well, being me also an expatriate, I would like how to answer to our european friends.
Secureness, feeling make you unsure, I'm a relatively a grown woman, and be sure that when strange people is looking you as a prize, you feel quite uncomfortable, and this happens in central places in the biggest italian towns, and the people are not italians... sometime there is police, sometimes not...
but our problem is the indifference of people, if someone assault me I'm quite sure that nobody will help me....
you are a man I think, because of your answers...