Italian Politics

[Josquius]

Those department name changes

[The Larch]

So, as expected, Italy are at it again messing with NGO rescue ships, which has created the first conflict with another EU country, this time with France.

Italy stops dozens of asylum seekers on NGO ship from coming ashore
Children and the sick were allowed off when boat run by German organisation SOS Humanity docked in Sicily

In the first test of its immigration policy, Italy's new far-right government has prevented 35 asylum seekers from disembarking from their boat, claiming they did not qualify for asylum.

On Saturday night, Rome allowed the ship Humanity 1, run by the German search-and-rescue organisation SOS Humanity and carrying 179 people, to enter the port of Catania, in Sicily, and begin disembarking only children and sick or "vulnerable" people.

After an onboard medical inspection, about 144 passengers were moved to a reception centre on the island, while the rest were left on the ship and are likely to be pushed back into international waters.

Most left Libya on small boats, often facing torture and abuses, and they are all seeking a better life in Europe.

"Right now, in the port of Catania there is a selective disembarkation under way," tweeted Italy's only black legislator in the lower chamber, Aboubakar Soumahoro, who met Humanity 1 at the Catania port. "Worn bodies of castaways already exhausted by cold, fatigue, trauma and torture are considered objects by Italy's new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni."

Italy's move comes as no surprise. Meloni, who leads Brothers of Italy, a party with neo-fascist origins, and who once said Italy should "repatriate migrants back to their countries and then sink the boats that rescued them", has promised to introduce hardline measures to block the arrival of asylum seekers from north Africa.

Italy's new interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, insists that countries whose flag the NGO-run ships fly must take the refugees and migrants instead.

SOS Humanity, which operates the Humanity 1, challenged Italy's decision, arguing that all the ship's passengers were rescued at sea, and that alone qualified them for a safe port under international law.

Wasil Schauseil, a spokesperson for the NGO, said the group's doctor was asked by the Italian authorities to make a selection of those in a bad medical condition. "Our doctor replied [that] everyone is in a vulnerable situation, so she would not make the selection," said Schauseil.

Two Italian physicians eventually boarded the ship and conducted examinations to determine which people had medical conditions that made them vulnerable.

"The doctors declared 36 people not in an emergency. After receiving the news, one person collapsed and lost consciousness and had to be taken by an ambulance," Schauseil said.

"That is why 35 people are onboard. You can imagine the condition of the people. It is very devastating."

Three other ships carrying 900 more rescued asylum seekers remained at sea, two in Italian waters and one in international waters, while their requests for a safe port have gone unanswered despite "critical" conditions onboard.

The NGOs reported people sleeping on floors and decks, the spread of fever-inducing infections and scabies, and food and medical supplies nearing depletion. Some have been on the ships for more than two weeks.

The Norway-flagged Geo Barents, carrying 572 people, and the German-run Rise Above, carrying 93, entered Italian waters east of Sicily over the weekend to seek protection from storm-swollen seas, while the Ocean Viking, operated by the European search-and-rescue organisation SOS Mediteranee, with 234 onboard, remained in international waters south of the strait of Messina.

On Sunday, Italy ordered the Humanity 1 to leave the port of Catania.However, its captain refused to comply "until all survivors rescued from distress at sea have been disembarked", said SOS Humanity. The vessel remained moored at the port.

"Everyone has a right to disembark, and we expect everyone can disembark,'' Schauseil said. "We do not think this is valid under international law."

According to the NGOs, Italy's move is in breach of international law on rescue at sea, according to which anyone in danger at sea must be rescued and that the rescue can be considered concluded only with disembarkation in the nearest safe port.

On the other hand, the Italian government is attempting to apply a singular interpretation of the EU Dublin Regulation, which provides that asylum seekers have to remain in the first European country they enter.

According to Piantedosi, when the asylum seekers set foot on the Humanity 1 rescue ship, flying the German flag, they actually set foot in Germany and consequently Berlin will have to take care of them.

Italy's new government's first test on migration policy is reminiscent of the standoffs orchestrated by former interior minister Matteo Salvini, now Meloni's infrastructure minister in charge of ports, during his brief 2018-19 stint as interior minister.

Salvini is currently facing charges for kidnapping asylum seekers in a case in Palermo after he prevented, in August 2019, 147 people on the NGO ship Open Arms from disembarking.

Although he could face up to 15 years in jail, Salvini said he would continue to "defend Italy's borders". In a Facebook video, Salvini repeated his allegations that the presence of the humanitarian boats encouraged smugglers.

The humanitarian-run boats which are being denied a safe port, account only for 15% of all arrivals in the country.

Thousands of asylum seekers have in fact reached Italian shores over the last week, either on their own steam in fishing boats or after being rescued at sea by Italian authorities.

Italy's migration policy is in breach of international law, say legal experts

Italy's new far-right government has enacted its controversial new anti-migration plan, which provides for the pushback of mostly male asylum seekers of adult age rescued in the central Mediterranean whom Rome does not deem qualified for international protection.

The move has sparked a row in the country and has provoked the protests of jurists, lawyers and charities who consider it a breach of international law on rescue at sea.
(...)
Italy's migration policy is reminiscent of the standoffs orchestrated by the former interior minister Matteo Salvini, now Meloni's infrastructure minister, during his stint as interior minister in 2018-19.

However, while Salvini closed the ports to NGOs, often forcing boats to remain several miles from the coast, the strategy of the Meloni government has the aim, on one hand, to please the EU by providing aid to the most vulnerable and, on the other, of blocking people they do not consider qualified for international protection, pleasing a part of their constituency who voted for them.

Magistratura Democratica, an independent Italian association made up of judges and prosecutors, said in a statement that Italy's move was in breach of international law and asked the government for the "immediate disembarkation of all the people".

"The survivors are in Italian territory and within its jurisdiction," said Omer Shatz, a lecturer in international law at Sciences Po and legal director at Front-Lex, an organisation challenging EU migration policies. "Preventing disembarkation, let alone expulsion, of those onboard, would constitute a grave breach of Italy's obligations under customary and treaty human rights, refugee and maritime law."

Italy ordered Humanity 1 to leave the port of Catania on Sunday but the captain refused to comply until all survivors had disembarked.

"We supported the captain's decision," said Alessandro Gamberini, a lawyer for SOS Humanity. "If he leaves the port, he will be the one to break international maritime rescue laws."

The Italian government is attempting to apply an interpretation of the EU's Dublin regulation, which stipulates that asylum seekers have to remain in the first European country they enter.

Piantedosi maintains that when the asylum seekers set foot on the German-flagged Humanity 1, they set foot in Germany and, consequently, Berlin would have to take care of them. The Italian interior ministry has defined NGO ships as islands under the jurisdiction of the flag countries.

Fulvio Vassallo Paleologo, a former professor of asylum law at the University of Palermo, said the law did not work that way. "Once a ship enters the port, both the vessel and the people onboard are subject to the jurisdiction of the coastal state. In theory, their interpretation would make sense if the boats were in international waters and if the flag states agree with this choice. But that's not the case."

"Italy exercised effective control and its state jurisdiction over the survivors based on its own actions," Shatz said. "Once Italy invited the vessel to dock at its port, it cannot discriminate between the survivors, who are all subject to its jurisdiction."

Some legal experts have suggested Italy's plan could rebound on Rome and that letting only some of the migrants land while pushing back others could be prosecuted.

Salvini is facing charges for kidnapping asylum seekers when, as interior minister in August 2019, he prevented 147 people onboard the NGO ship Open Arms from disembarking. Piantedosi was his chief of staff and was investigated over the incident initially before charges were dropped.

Salvini has maintained he was protecting the country and alleged the presence of the humanitarian boats encouraged smugglers.

According to official statistics, the humanitarian-run boats account for only 15% of all such arrivals in the country, with the remainder reaching Italian shores on their own in fishing boats.

People rescued in Italian waters spark row between Italy and France
French government calls Rome's refusal to let boat carrying 234 asylum seekers dock 'unacceptable'

The fate of hundreds of people rescued in the central Mediterranean by a charity vessel has sparked a diplomatic row between Italy and France, with the French government calling it "unacceptable" that Rome has refused to allow the ship, carrying 234 asylum seekers, to dock in an Italian port.

On Tuesday, the Ocean Viking rescue boat, operated by the European charity SOS Méditerranée under a Norwegian flag, began sailing towards France after Italy's new far-right government refused to give it a safe port for more than two weeks.

The French government spokesperson, Olivier Véran, told FranceInfo on Wednesday: "The boat is currently in Italian territorial waters. There are extremely clear European rules which have been accepted by the Italians who are, in fact, the first beneficiary of a European financial solidarity mechanism."

Véran added that the Italian government's declarations were "unacceptable", as was its refusal to allow the boat to dock. "We still have a few hours of discussions and, in any case, we are still at that stage. Obviously no one will let this boat run any risk, especially for the people on board," he added. "We are following the situation minute by minute."
(...)
On Tuesday, after unsuccessfully waiting for permission to dock in Italy since late October, Ocean Viking appealed to France, requesting authorisation to disembark its passengers.

Meloini said on Wednesday: "The people aboard the NGO vessels are migrants, not shipwrecked. We did not ask for the disembarkation of all the people aboard the vessels. That was the doctors' decision after a second inspection on board, and we found that decision bizarre."

Sophie Beau, the director general of SOS Méditerranée, said: "The situation aboard the Ocean Viking has reached a critical stage. We are now confronted with very serious consequences including the risk of loss of human life ... after more than two weeks of being blocked at sea."

The Ocean Viking is now sailing toward France and should reach international waters off the French Mediterranean island of Corsica by Thursday.

Gilles Simeoni, the president of the executive council on Corsica, said he was "ready if necessary" to allow Ocean Viking into one of the island's ports temporarily. He said the row between the French and Italian governments was regrettable and playing out "at the expense of the health, and perhaps the lives, of hundreds of people who are in a state of distress".

"Our position is dictated by the duty of humanity, by the emergency. We cannot, when there are people suffering and in absolute distress a few dozen kilometres from the Corsican coast, look the other way," Simeoni said.

A French interior ministry source cited by BFMTV criticised the Italian authorities' "unacceptable behaviour" that they said was "contrary to marine law as well as the spirit of European solidarity".

On Wednesday, Piantedosi said its government "will not accept lessons on human rights".

Meanwhile, Meloni thanked France for "sharing the responsibility of the migratory emergency, which up to now has been on the back of Italy and a few other states".

"The immigration emergency is a European issue," she said, "and it should be addressed as such."

[The Larch]

And the first controversial law of the new government is also already in and it's against... illegal rave parties. Although it's so broad it can be used against many other gatherings.

'Freedom-killing monster': illegal rave crackdown in Italy draws criticism
Halloween party led far-right government to enact legislation including jail terms up to six years

A law enacted by Giorgia Meloni's government that punishes organisers of illegal raves with hefty jail terms has triggered widespread criticism in Italy, with one opponent describing the measure as "a freedom-killing monster".

A three-day-long Halloween party in Modena was the catalyst for the swift enactment of legislation that will punish organisers or promoters of gatherings that put public order or safety at risk with prison sentences of between three and six years and fines ranging from €1,000 to €10,000. Penalties for those who participate in what the decree describes as an "invasion" have not been outlined, but they will be less severe.

The law applies to gatherings involving 50 or more people that "arbitrarily invade other people's land or buildings", raising fears that this would give power to authorities to potentially crack down on peaceful protests.

Getting tough on raves was a campaign policy of Meloni's Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist roots, and its far-right coalition partner the League, which is led by the deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini.

Fourteen young people, including a Dutch citizen, are under investigation after the interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, ordered the eviction on Sunday of more than 3,000 revellers at an illegal rave that had been taking place in an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts of the Emilia-Romagna city of Modena. The event was organised via social media, attracting participants from overseas.

During her first press conference as prime minister on Monday, Meloni referred to a six-day-long rave in the Viterbo area in Lazio last summer, during which one person died.

"With the rave rules we are no different from any other European nation," she said. "When there was the famous Viterbo rave, it struck me that thousands of the people who arrived in Italy to wreak havoc had come from all over Europe because the impression of Italy in recent years has been one of laxity in terms of respecting rules. Now Italy is no longer the nation in which one can commit a crime; there are rules and they are being enforced."

But the hardline measure has been criticised by opposition politicians, unions and Amnesty International Italia.

Enrico Letta, the leader of the centre-left Democratic party, said it was "a serious error" that puts citizens' freedom "at risk", while Giuseppe Conte, who leads the Five Star Movement, described it as "horrifying" and akin to one "from a police state".

Riccardo Magi, the president of the small leftwing party More Europe, described the law as having "a Putin flavour".

Alessandro Zan, a politician with the Democratic party, said the measure was an attack against article 17 of the Italian constitution, which gives citizens "the right to assemble peacefully and without arms".

"The Meloni government has established that if 51 people gather together they risk six years in prison," said Zan. "Their first act is a freedom-killing monster ... raves are just the excuse – the goal is to suppress demonstrations in schools, universities and squares."

Vinicio Nardo, the president of the order of lawyers in Milan, also said the law put article 17 in danger, while Amnesty International Italia said: "It risks having a discretionary and arbitrary application to the detriment of the right to peacefully protest."

[The Larch]

Another very reasonable development by Meloni, taking to court anti mafia writer and journalist Roberto Saviano on criminal defamation charges.

Writer Roberto Saviano goes on trial for comments about Italy's PM
Giorgia Meloni is suing Gomorrah writer for criminal defamation over comments about her migrant policy

The Italian writer Roberto Saviano is standing trial on Tuesday for calling Italy's new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, a "bastard" after she said NGO boats that had attempted to rescue refugees should be sunk.

Meloni, the leader of Brothers of Italy, a party with neo-fascist origins, who had said Rome should "repatriate migrants and sink the boats that rescued them", sued Saviano for criminal defamation, and last year a judge in Rome ruled that the writer should be tried.

Saviano, who lives under police escort and has been in hiding from the Neapolitan mafia, the Camorra, since 2006 after being threatened by mobsters following publication of his book Gomorrah, faces up to three years in prison.


Meloni's action came after the author, in 2020, was asked on the political TV chatshow Piazzapulita for a comment on the death of a six-month-old baby from Guinea after a shipwreck in the central Mediterranean.

Including in his remarks the leader of the far-right Northern League, Matteo Salvini, who as interior minister introduced a decree imposing fines of up to €50,000 (£44,000) on NGO rescue boats bringing people to Italy, Saviano said: "I just want to say to Meloni, and Salvini, you bastards! How could you?"

"I'm sick of witnessing this disgusting profiteering by Saviano," Meloni replied after Saviano's TV appearance. "Is it normal that this serial hater is allowed to defame, without the right to reply, people who are not present on the talkshow? I have already asked my lawyers to proceed with a legal action against him."

In a previous interview with the Guardian, Saviano, who has repeatedly criticised the treatment of migrants in Italy, said: "If I am sentenced, I will respond to my words, but I will never regret having lost my peace of mind and perhaps even many readers for defending the voiceless."

Numerous writers' and literary associations have expressed their support for Saviano . The PEN International president, Burhan Sönmez, urged Meloni to drop all criminal defamation charges against Saviano and to abide by Italy's national and international obligations to uphold freedom of expression.

"We urge you to drop the case against him and to do everything in your power to support investigative journalism and independent media," Sönmez said in an open letter.

"Criminal defamation lawsuits exhaust their victims. They rob them of their time, of their money, of their vital energy. Crucially, they are punitive and can lead to self-censorship and discourage the investigative journalism that is so necessary in a healthy and functioning democracy.

"They constitute a threat to freedom of expression – which is enshrined in Italy's domestic and international human rights obligations. As the prime minister of Italy, pursing your case against him would send a chilling message to all journalists and writers in the country, who may no longer dare to speak out for fear of reprisals."

"Saviano is not alone," Sönmez added. "We stand with him and will continue to campaign until all criminal defamation charges against him are dropped, and his right to peacefully express his views is upheld once and for all."

[Zanza]

So, right wing populists doing right wing populist things? Who could have expected this? 

I hope their coalition splinters fast.

[The Larch]

Maybe the shot in the arm that the sclerotic PD needed?

Elly Schlein voted leader of Italy's most important leftwing party in surprise win
First female leader of Democratic party promises it will become 'a problem' for Giorgia Meloni's far-right government

Italy's most prominent leftwing party has elected its first female leader.

Elly Schlein, 37, defied poll projections and beat Stefano Bonaccini in the leadership race for the Democratic party (PD) on Sunday.

"The Democratic party is alive and ready to stand up," said Schlein. "We did it, together we made a small big revolution, even this time they didn't see us coming."

Schlein said the party, which has struggled to form a strong opposition to Italy's rightwing parties, "will be a problem" for the government led by Giorgia Meloni the leader of Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist roots.

Schlein, a former MEP, first came to prominence in early 2020 after her small party, Coraggiosa (Courageous), played a pivotal role in stopping the far right from seizing power in the traditionally leftwing Emilia-Romagna region.

Bonaccini won the presidency of the region, with Schlein appointed vice-president, a role from which she stepped down after being elected as a parliamentarian in Italy's general elections in September.

Vocal on social justice issues, Schlein, an Italian-American national, has been compared in Italy to the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She rejoined the Democratic party after leaving in 2015 out of frustration over the direction the party was taking under its then leader and former prime minister, Matteo Renzi.

In an interview with the Guardian in September, she said she "couldn't bear" the PD any more after Renzi enforced his flagship jobs act, containing labour market measures that made it easier for employers to fire people and to hire on precarious contracts.

Among Schlein's policy priorities in the leadership race were a minimum wage, healthcare and the environment.

She takes over from Enrico Letta, who announced his resignation in September after the election that brought Meloni to power.

Her win came as a surprise given polls had forecast a victory for Bonaccini by a wide margin.

"The first thing I ask is to applaud Elly Schlein," Bonaccini said. "I've spoken to her and congratulated her. Good luck for the great responsibility she assumes at the helm of the party. Elly prevailed and I'm available to help out."

Many on the left are pinning their hopes on Schlein to revive the PD, which polls at about 17%, and present a viable opponent to Meloni, a popular leader whose Brothers of Italy party has continued to gather strength since coming to power in coalition with Matteo Salvini's League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia.

"We will work together in the interest of the country," Schlein said. "We will work for unity, my commitment is to be everyone's leader, to win again."

[The Larch]

Silvio Berlusconi being treated in intensive care in Milan
Former Italian prime minister taken to hospital amid 'shortness of breath' and reported to be stable

The former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is in intensive care at San Raffaele hospital in Milan.

According to reports in the Italian press, the 86-year-old is in intensive care in the hospital's cardiology unit.

Rai News reported that he had been taken to hospital after suffering a "shortness of breath" and that his condition was currently stable.

Berlusconi, whose Forza Italia party is in the ruling government coalition, had been discharged from the same hospital on Friday after undergoing routine checks.

[Josquius]

Oh dear what a shame on Silvio.

Good luck to Elly. Italy really needs to snap out of its mess someday.

[Sheilbh]

So RIP Berlusconi. Telling figure in a lot of ways with lots of echoes all over the West in the last 30 years.

 I often feel like Italy is always a bit of a trendsetter for Western (or at least European politics) where things just happen a bit earlier and more - and maybe nowhere more than in Berlusconi's politics and success.

[Tamas]

So RIP Berlusconi. Telling figure in a lot of ways with lots of echoes all over the West in the last 30 years.

 I often feel like Italy is always a bit of a trendsetter for Western (or at least European politics) where things just happen a bit earlier and more - and maybe nowhere more than in Berlusconi's politics and success.

Yeah I think political trends appear in less stable countries first, just look at this neo-fascist crap in Eastern Europe

[Josquius]

Saw this the other day.

https://road.cc/content/news/italian-government-plans-introduce-bike-number-plates-301789

Fascinating how the far right having a massive hard on for hating cycling is such a global phenomena.
Is it just "if the left like it then it must be bad" or is there actually some stupid logic at work?

[viper37]

I think it's a good thing.
It's going to increase safety on the roads and make them a bit more conscious.

[Duque de Bragança]

Cyclists are not as bad as e-scooters riders, but yes that's not necessarily a bad thing.

As for the enforcement of these rules south of Rome (some mean-spirited people will say south of Padania), colour me skeptical. 

[Josquius]

I think it's a good thing.
It's going to increase safety on the roads and make them a bit more conscious.

Cyclists are far more likely to be the victims of accidents than those causing them. Especially if you look at fatal accidents.

Safety isn't the intent of such legislation. Its a transparent fig leaf to try and excuse a naked part of the whole anti-woke push. Trying to put friction in the way of people cycling to help their intent of rolling it back and avoiding anything that impedes motorists in the slightest.

[viper37]

I think it's a good thing.
It's going to increase safety on the roads and make them a bit more conscious.

Cyclists are far more likely to be the victims of accidents than those causing them. Especially if you look at fatal accidents.

Safety isn't the intent of such legislation. Its a transparent fig leaf to try and excuse a naked part of the whole anti-woke push. Trying to put friction in the way of people cycling to help their intent of rolling it back and avoiding anything that impedes motorists in the slightest.

The smaller one is always going to be the victim of the bigger one, that's a given, due tot he mass.

I just think that if cyclists wants to use roads, they should share a little part of the costs and be conscious of their own risks too.  They often are really dangerous to themselves, and to pedestrians.  Sometimes, they create grave injuries to car drivers, but it's the exception.