an open letter to silvio be - stonehenge | verba volant · an open letter to silvio berlusconi jul...

Newsletters RSS Subscribe Classifieds Search Sunday May 9th 2010 Home Science & technology Markets & data Culture Site Index Print Edition About The Economist online About The Economist Media directory Staff books Career opportunities Contact us Subscribe [+] Site feedback Copyright © The Economist Newspaper Limited 2010. All rights reserved. Advertising info Legal disclaimer Accessibility Privacy policy Terms & Conditions Help b Log out My account World Business & finance Want more? Subscribe to The Economist and get the week’s most relevant news and analysis. An open letter to Silvio Berlusconi Jul 30th 2003 | From The Economist online Silvio Berlusconi Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri Palazzo Chigi 370 Piazza Colonna Rome 00187 July 30th 2003 Dear Mr Berlusconi, I am writing to you to pose questions that I believe the public has a right to hear the answers to. As this can no longer occur through the Italian courts, such questions should be posed and answered in public. On June 18th, the Italian parliament approved a bill to grant immunity from criminal trials to the holders of the five highest offices of state, including the president and prime minister. It is now a law. The law applies even if a trial started before the office-holder was elected. The new law’s most immediate effect is that the one remaining criminal trial in which you are involved —the SME case, in which you are accused of bribing judges—has been suspended until you are no longer prime minister. Even then, the trial will start again only if you were not elected to one of the other offices that benefits from the immunity. But the law is being challenged in the constitutional court. On April 28th 2001, we published a cover story entitled “Why Silvio Berlusconi is unfit to lead Italy” and a four-page investigation “An Italian story”. We sent you a letter on April 11th 2001, containing 51 questions, that stated: “The Economist intends to publish shortly a feature on your business career and on the various investigations into you and your companies that have been carried out by the Italian magistracy during the last seven years”. You did not reply. On May 2nd 2001, you filed a writ for defamation against The Economist in the Rome court. As you will know, this court has not yet ruled on your suit. In light of the above, we are writing to you by way of open letter and challenge you to answer our further set of questions in a similar open, public fashion. Our letter comprises six sections as follows: 1. The SME affair 2. Your spontaneous declarations 3. The smearing of Romano Prodi 4. Your gold medal claim 5. Your other trials 6. Your early business career We look forward to your reply Yours sincerely Bill Emmott Editor The Economist Related Items From The Economist About our open letter to Italy's prime minister Jul 31st 2003 1. The SME affair Jul 31st 2003 2. Your spontaneous declarations Jul 31st 2003 3. The smearing of Romano Prodi Jul 31st 2003 4. Your gold medal claim Jul 31st 2003 5. Your other trials Jul 31st 2003 6. Your early business career Jul 31st 2003 Berlusconi: an Italian story Apr 26th 2001 Fit to run Italy? Apr 26th 2001 Country briefing Italy Products & events Stay informed today and every day Subscribe to The Economist's free e-mail newsletters and alerts. Get e-mail newsletters Subscribe to The Economist's latest article postings on Twitter Follow The Economist on Twitter See a selection of The Economist's articles, events, topical videos and debates on Facebook. Follow The Economist on Facebook All world United States Britain Europe Asia The Americas Africa Middle East Recommend E-mail Print Reprints & permissions Share An open letter to Silvio Berlusconi | The Economist http://www.economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E... 1 di 1 09/05/2010 19.31

Upload: vokiet

Post on 16-Feb-2019

217 views

Category:

Documents

0 download

Report

Download

Embed Size (px):

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: An open letter to Silvio Be - STONEHENGE | VERBA VOLANT · An open letter to Silvio Berlusconi Jul 30th 2003 | From The Economist online Silvio Berlusconi Presidenza del Consiglio

Newsletters RSS Subscribe Classifieds

Sunday May 9th 2010

Home Science & technology Markets & data Culture Site Index Print Edition

About The Economist online About The Economist Media directory Staff books Career opportunities Contact us Subscribe [+] Site feedback

blank

Log out My account

World Business & finance

Want more? Subscribe to The Economist and get the week’s mostrelevant news and analysis.

An open letter to Silvio BerlusconiJul 30th 2003 | From The Economist online

Silvio BerlusconiPresidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri

Palazzo Chigi370 Piazza ColonnaRome 00187

July 30th 2003

Dear Mr Berlusconi,

I am writing to you to pose questions that I believe the public has a right to hear the answers

to. As this can no longer occur through the Italian courts, such questions should be posedand answered in public.

On June 18th, the Italian parliament approved a bill to grant immunity from criminal trials to

the holders of the five highest offices of state, including the president and prime minister. Itis now a law. The law applies even if a trial started before the office-holder was elected. Thenew law’s most immediate effect is that the one remaining criminal trial in which you are

involved —the SME case, in which you are accused of bribing judges—has been suspendeduntil you are no longer prime minister. Even then, the trial will start again only if you werenot elected to one of the other offices that benefits from the immunity. But the law is being

challenged in the constitutional court.

On April 28th 2001, we published a cover story entitled “Why Silvio Berlusconi is unfit tolead Italy” and a four-page investigation “An Italian story”. We sent you a letter on April 11th

2001, containing 51 questions, that stated: “The Economist intends to publish shortly afeature on your business career and on the various investigations into you and yourcompanies that have been carried out by the Italian magistracy during the last seven years”.You did not reply.

On May 2nd 2001, you filed a writ for defamation against The Economist in the Rome court.As you will know, this court has not yet ruled on your suit.

In light of the above, we are writing to you by way of open letter and challenge you toanswer our further set of questions in a similar open, public fashion. Our letter comprises sixsections as follows:

1. The SME affair

2. Your spontaneous declarations

3. The smearing of Romano Prodi

4. Your gold medal claim

5. Your other trials

6. Your early business career

We look forward to your reply

Yours sincerely

Bill Emmott

Editor

The Economist