ITALY: HUNDREDS OF FLAG WAVING ITALIANS CONVERGE ON ROME'S CAMPODOGLIO PIAZZA TO PROTEST AGAINST PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI'S EUROPEAN POLICIES

Record ID: 647337

  • Title: ITALY: HUNDREDS OF FLAG WAVING ITALIANS CONVERGE ON ROME'S CAMPODOGLIO PIAZZA TO PROTEST AGAINST PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI'S EUROPEAN POLICIES
  • Date: 7th January 2002
  • Summary: (U6) ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 7, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV/SV: CROWDS GATHERED AT CAMPODOGLIO (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. CU: BANNER READING "Against Berlusconi" 0.17 3. SCU: CROWDS WAVING FLAGS 0.21 4. VARIOUS CROWD (2 SHOTS) 0.30 5. SV: FORMER PRIME MINISTER LAMBERTO DINI (WEARING HAT) WITH FORMER ENVIRONMENT MINISTER WILLER BORDON (WEARING SCARF) AND FORMER FINANCE MINISTER VINCENZO VISCO (WHITE HAIR) 0.34 6. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) FORMER PRIME MINISTER MASSIMO D'ALEMA SAYING: "Since it does not make sense that a prime minister goes to foreign ministers meetings, its obvious that this cannot happen, and since it is not possible even to send an under secretary we will be left on the margins. Therefore this decision of interim (foreign minister) that Berlusconi will take on is nonsense and a further damage to Italy." 0.54 7. SC: CROWDS APPAULDING 0.57 8. WIDE OF RUTELLI AT PODIUM 1.02 9. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) OPPOSITION LEADER FRANCESCO RUTELLI SAYING: "We would would never have bet against the failure of monetary union or the failure of Italy in Europe as they have done (the government). Today we say in very clear words we keep going in a straight line towards the interests of our country we will not go against these interests." 1.23 10. VARIOUS OF CROWD HOLDING FLAGS INCLUDING EUROPEAN UNION FLAG (3 SHOTS) 1.42 11. VARIOUS: CROWDS APPLAUDING (3 SHOTS) 2.03 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 22nd January 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Reuters ID: LVACASKDQB7HO8LPDQ0Y5ESAKPNF
  • Story Text: Hundreds of Italians waving European Union flags have
    converged on Rome's Campidoglio piazza to protest Silvio
    Berlusconi's policies at a political rally of the
    centre-left.


    Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, battered
    by criticism over the resignation of his foreign minister
    Renato Ruggiero, sought to reassure sceptics at home and
    abroad on Monday (January 7) that his government was committed
    to a strong Europe.

    But gathered outside Rome's impressive town hall,
    Campodoglio, were several former Italian prime ministers and
    their supporters angered by Berlusconi's decision to hold the
    foreign affairs portfolio for himself and to launch a major
    overhaul of the ministry and make it more pro-business.

    "Since it does not make sense that a prime minister goes
    to foreign ministers meetings, it's obvious that this cannot
    happen, and since it is not possible even to send an under
    secretary we will be left on the margins," said former Italian
    prime minister Massimo D'Alema.

    "Therefore this decision of interim (foreign minister)
    that Berlusconi will take on is nonsense and a further damage
    to Italy," D'Alema said.

    Opposition leader Francesco Rutelli said:
    "We would would never have bet against the failure of
    monetary union or the failure of Italy in Europe as they have
    done (the government). Today we say in very clear words we
    will keep going in a straight line towards the interests of
    our country, we will not go against these interests."
    Political commentators in Italy have said the twin
    positions of prime minister and foreign minister were too much
    for one person, especially someone who is the nominal head of
    Italy's largest media empire and still embroiled in a number
    of high-profile corruption investigations.
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