Da The Indipendent del 14/03/2006
Originale su http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article351154.ece

Berlusconi warns TV debate with Prodi will be a 'waxworks' show

di Peter Popham

Rome - The two contenders to rule Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, and the main opposition leader, Romano Prodi, clash tonight on prime-time television in a debate already dismissed by Mr Berlusconi as "a waxworks show".

Following rules of engagement inspired by the US presidential election debate between George Bush and John Kerry, each man will have two and a half minutes to reply to a question, with right of reply limited to one minute. One candidate will get the first question, the other the last one, with the order reversed for the second encounter, on 3 April.

Everything down to suits and ties has been discussed in detail. Two different moderators will be in charge of the two shows, their order of appearance decided by tossing a coin. The debate is expected to follow the success of Mr Berlusoni's last two debating appearances and break viewing records. Italy's long campaign leading to the general election on 9 and 10 April has caught fire, at least on television.

The rules were agreed at the insistence of Mr Prodi's side after the challenger told Mr Berlusconi that he would rather have no debate than one in which the cards were stacked against him. Until last week Mr Berlusconi was insisting on his right, as the current premier, to conclude the discussion with a televised press conference given by himself alone.

Now he has conceded, albeit begrudgingly. "According to these rules, neither of us can reply to the other and the one who wants to lodge a disagreement must put up his hand like at school when you want to go to the lavatory ... We will be like little statues."

It certainly goes against the grain of Italian political debate, which is usually a contest to see who can shout louder and longer. But there is a growing feeling that the classic knockabout Italian style has hit a roadblock - especially after Mr Berlusconi's last television appearance ended with him stalking out in a huff.

The occasion was a 30-minute Hard Talk-style interview on Sunday night, but it ended after 20 minutes with a torrent of angry abuse from the Prime Minister and a walkout. The questions asked by Lucia Annunziata would have been scorned by Jeremy Paxman for their mildness, but they included issues that many of his fellow countrymen have been itching to ask him about. "You are world-famous," she said, "for being the Western leader who represents the greatest conflict of interest in the history of Western nations. Doesn't this bother you?"

Mr Berlusconi avoided a direct reply, but said "Rai 3" - the channel broadcasting the programme, which has a left-wing tinge - was "a war machine" against him. Long before time was up, the two were talking non-stop, and incomprehensibly, over each other. For once Mr Berlusconi's status as an "anti-politician" appears to have tripped him up.

Mr Berlusconi, who likes to surround himself with fawning courtiers, has little experience of the rough and tumble of debate. "When a real politician goes into the television studio, he must be prepared to be contradicted," said Piero Fassino, an opposition leader. "The Prime Minister is accustomed to making long monologues without anybody raising objections, and when this happens he gets nervous. In a democracy the opinions of others are to be respected."

Tonight's rigidly structured event will be a first for Italian television. Opposition politicians were wondering whether Mr Berlusconi might storm out of this one, too.

Sullo stesso argomento

Articoli in archivio

di Celina Chatruc su La Nación del 06/04/2006
Prodi controla el debate televisado ante un nervioso Berlusconi
El primer ministro anuncia por sorpresa que abolirá el Impuesto sobre los Bienes Inmuebles
su El Pais del 04/04/2006
 
Cos'� ArchivioStampa?
Una finestra sul mondo della cultura, della politica, dell'economia e della scienza. Ogni giorno, una selezione di articoli comparsi sulla stampa italiana e internazionale. [Leggi]
Rassegna personale
Attualmente non hai selezionato directory degli articoli da incrociare.
Sponsor
Contenuti
Notizie dal mondo
Notizie dal mondo
Community
• Forum
Elenco degli utenti

Sono nuovo... registratemi!
Ho dimenticato la password
• Sono già registrato:
User ID

Password
Network
Newsletter

iscriviti cancella
Suggerisci questo sito

Attenzione
I documenti raccolti in questo sito non rappresentano il parere degli autori che si sono limitatati a raccoglierli come strumento di studio e analisi.
Comune di Roma

Questo progetto imprenditoriale ha ottenuto il sostegno del Comune di Roma nell'ambito delle azioni di sviluppo e recupero delle periferie

by Mondo a Colori Media Network s.r.l. 2006-2024
Valid XHTML 1.0, CSS 2.0