After packing a previously uncontroversial bill full with measures that would help Retequattro avoid a move to satellite, the government yesterday lost a vote on one of the provisions contained there, on bird protection, of all things.
Gioacchino Alfano, justice minister, has now promised to listen to the opposition’s concerns about Retequattro. Quite what this means [...]
Today’s Venerdi in Repubblica has gone to town on the basis of a study released by the Istituto Cattaneo. The study [PDF] is presented misleadingly: the magazine gives only one diagram (for Milan) but the Cattaneo study only gives vote transfers for a number of cities/areas – Milano, Brescia, Como, Varese, Bologna, Modena, and Reggio [...]
Four months ago, the European Court of Justice ruled that one of Silvio Berlusconi’s stations, ReteQuattro, was broadcasting illegally on frequencies owned by another television company, Europa 7.
Berlusconi’s government is now trying to prevent that ruling from having effect. Not only that, but they’re doing it in a very under-hand way.
In April, just before the [...]
From Inside the CBC:
Joseph Handley is the retired Premier of the Northwest Territories, a position he occupied from 2003 to 2007. Throughout his political career in the Northwest Territories, he held many positions, including Minister of Finance; Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development; and Minister of Aboriginal and Intergovernmental Affairs and Housing. Prior to [...]
The sectoral watchdog Agcom has opened a case against Rai for presumed violations of the broadcasting law (legge Gasparri) in the ongoing Travaglio case. The authority cites two grounds for their decision: the commitment to protection of fundamental rights (article 4), and the commitment to honouring the service contract (article 48).
I find it hard to [...]
PRESIDENZA DEL CONSIGLIO:
Maurizio BALOCCHI (Semplificazione normativa) – Lega Nord
Paolo BONAIUTI (Editoria) – Forza Italia
Michela Vittoria BRAMBILLA (Turismo) – Forza Italia
Aldo BRANCHER (Federalismo) – Forza Italia
Rocco CRIMI (Sport) – Forza Italia
Carlo Amedeo GIOVANARDI (Famiglia, droga e Servizio civile) – Liberali
Gianfranco MICCICHÈ (CIPE) – Forza Italia
AFFARI ESTERI
Stefania Gabriella Anastasia CRAXI – Forza Italia
Alfredo MANTICA – Alleanza Nazionale
Enzo [...]
Walter Veltroni has come out against nominating a new Rai board with the current law. Whilst one might disagree with the method found in the current law to appoint board members (seven of nine members by parliamentary committee, president plus one ordinary member by ministerial nomination subject to two-thirds majority in the same committee), it [...]
Once again, Marco Travaglio has appeared on a Rai programme, made some provocative comments, and kicked off a furore which will generate more heat than light. Here is my hasty transcript of his remarks from the video posted on Repubblica.it:
È molto istruttivo quando vengono elette le alte cariche dello stato, perché i giornali pubblicano tutti [...]
For the fourth time in fourteen years, Berlusconi has met with the President of the Republic and been asked to form a government. He’s broken with precedence, and instead of accepting the post with riserva (that is, whilst awaiting the other parties’ agreement on the composition of the government), has presented a list of ministers [...]
Several months ago, leaked telephone intercepts showed that Agostino Saccà, director of Rai Fiction, had been in regular phone contact with Silvio Berlusconi about which actresses to recruit, and how best to advance his own production company, Pegagus. Now they’re trying to fire him. It seems to be more difficult than it ought to be, [...]