Chris Hanretty

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 i nomi dei personnaggi che hanno ricoperto quella carica nella storia Repubblicana. E uno si rende conto… che una volta avevamo dei Gasperi, Einaudi, De Nicola, Merzagora, Parri, Pertini, Nenni, che ne so… vede tutta l’altra fila, e arrive a Schifani…C’è un elemento di originalità! La seconda carica dello stato a Schifani…
Mi domando chi sarà quello dopo… in questa parabola a precipizio… dopo  c’è solo la muffa, il lombrico da forma da vita.

[Fazio si dissocia]
No, dalla muffa si ricava il penicillino, è un esempio sbagliato…

[cut]
Schifani ha avuto delle amicizie con dei mafiosi… io non scrivo che Schifani ha avuto delle amicizie con i mafiosi, perché non lo vuole nè la destra nè la sinistra. Loro prendono le posizione politiche che vogliono: io devo fare giornalista, io devo raccontarlo. L’ha raccontato Lirio Abbate nel libro che ha scritto con Gomez. E viene celebrato giustamente come un giornalista eroico minacciato dalla mafia. Allora, o hanno il coraggio di dire che Lirio Abbate e un mascalzone, un mentitore oppure hanno il coraggio di prendere nota di quello che scrive della seconda carica dello Stato e chiedere semplicemente alla seconda carica dello Stato di spiegare quei rapporti con quei signori che sono stati poi condanatti per mafia. Invece noi purtroppo, andiamo a rimorchio della clima politico.

It’s very educational when the high offices of state are elected, because the newspapers publish the names of all those who have filled those roles through the history of the Republic. And you realize… that once we had de Gasperis, Einaudis, De Nicola, Merzagora, Parri, Pertini, Nenni, others I’ve forgotten… you look at that list, and then you arrive at Schifani… At least there’s originality! The second office of the state to Schifani… I ask myself who’s going to be next… in this race to the bottom. After this, there’s only bacteria, an earthworm or something.

[Fazio dissociates himself from Travaglio’s remarks]

No, from bacteria you can get pencillin, it’s a bad example.

[cut]

Schifani has had friendships with mafia members…. I don’t write that Schifani has had friendships with mafiosi, because neither the left nor the write wants it. They can take the political positions they want: I have to work as a journalist, I have to tell these stories.

Lirio Abbate has told the story in the book he wrote with Gomez [I complici]. And he is rightly celebrate as a heroic journalist threatened by the mafia.

Well then, either [the newspapers] have the courage to say that Lirio Abbate is a liar, or they have the courage to take note of what he’s written about the second highest office in the state, and simply ask of the second highest office of the state to explain those relationships with those men who have subsequently been condemned for association with the mafia. But instead we’re all in thrall to the political climate.

Reactions have been strong and almost universally negative (although Antonio di Pietro has said that Travaglio was ‘merely doing his job’). Maurizio Gasparri has called for chief executives at Rai to be dismissed.

Three points:

First, this would have provoked less intense reactions in the UK.  Imagine if Michael Gove came on some BBC talkshow and talked about Michael Martin in the same way Travaglio talked of Schifani. I doubt that there would have been the same reaction; indeed, Michael Martin has already been subject to some fairly vicious (and probably unmerited) commentary. The BBC might have dissociated itself from the remarks; but no-one would have called for the Director-General to resign. That’s probably because there’s much less sense of lèse majesté in the UK, something Italian politicians would do well to adopt.

Second, Rai has done everything it possibly could to remedy the defect after the fact. During the programme, Fazio is evidently embarassed by what Travaglio is saying, and immediately dissociates himself from the remarks; he reads out not one but two prepared remarks before the beginning of the next show.

Third, Rai really has to learn that inviting people like Marco Travaglio on television is going to lead to incidents like this. They ought to take a principled decision either that what Marco Travaglio says is important enough to be said on live television, or they decide not to invite him back. Inviting him on, then acting surprised and rushing out apologies when he makes (or rather, repeats) certain allegations, will not do.

Of course, if they don’t invite him back on, they’ll be accused of censuring him. But he’s a prolific writer; I’m sure he would bounce back. If anything, rumours of a ‘ban’ would probably do his book sales no end of good.