Financial Times


Italian president calls for new media laws

24-07-2002

President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi on Tuesday demonstrated growing concern over the conflict between Silvio Berlusconi's roles as Italy's prime minister and its biggest media tycoon when he called for new legislation to regulate the country's multi-media and television industry. In his first written statement to parliament since he was elected president three years ago, Mr Ciampi, who enjoys popular support, said a new law was needed to guarantee "pluralism and impartiality in the Italian communications sector". His intervention addresses possibly the most controversial issue facing Mr Berlusconi's centre-right coalition government. By emphasising that pluralism and impartiality were the backbones of a mature democracy, Mr Ciampi indirectly challenged Mr Berlusconi's political hold on the television media as well as the ownership structure of the Italian written and broadcasting press. Through Mediaset, the dominant commercial TV network that Mr Berlusconi owns, and Rai, whose board is appointed by parliament where Mr Berlusconi enjoys a comfortable majority, the prime minister in effect controls about 90 per cent of Italian TV viewership. Although Italian presidents have no executive powers, they can send written statements to parliament urging action on national issues. However, this prerogative is used rarely and usually involves judicial issues or institutional reforms. Mr Ciampi's solemn call for new multi-media legislation also appears to reflect the president's irritation over Mr Berlusconi's recent suggestion he would be prepared to run as a presidential candidate if the constitution were reformed to give the president wide powers similar to the French or US presidential systems. Mr Berlusconi on Monday sought to defuse the political row provoked by this constitutional proposal by declaring he was "not a dictator" and that the opposition would be consulted before he recast the state along presidential lines. Parliament will debate on Thursday Mr Ciampi's call for new media legislation including guaranteeing the "central role of public radio and television", more regional radio and television services, and parliamentary scrutiny of state and private TV networks. Mr Berlusconi promised to resolve quickly his conflict of interest during his successful election campaign last year. But while he has said he wanted to sell two of the three Rai state TV channels, he has so far avoided mentioning the sale of his own three Mediaset channels. To appease critics in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, the centre-right government presented last autumn a conflict of interest bill passed by the Senate but yet to be approved by the Chamber of Deputies, or lower house of parliament. It allows Mr Berlusconi to maintain ownership of his media empire as long as he is not involved in its management which has been turned over to his children and executives long involved in the business.