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Sicilian Culture: News & Views

Italy Cooling on Europe & 2 Aides Explain Why
By Melinda Henneberger, New York Times

ROME, February 17, 2002 - Italy's scaled- back vision of European integration may be a scandal on the Continent, but officials here insist that like George W. Bush they have the right to put their national interests first.

In recent interviews, two cabinet members said that Italy had often sacrificed national interests in favor of a common European agenda - but no more.

From now on, Italy will be interested in cooperating mainly on defense and foreign policy. Beyond that, "anything that could be done better at the national level should be," said Antonio Martino, Italy's defense minister.

The new Italian model within the European Union is Britain, historically a much more reserved partner.

Italy's conservative prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, who took office in June, is heavily promoting the idea of a British-Italian-Spanish counterweight to Germany and France. The British leader, Tony Blair, visited here on Friday and Italian officials used the occasion to discuss liberalizing labor and energy markets and to emphasize that their countries now shared a similarly restricted view of European integration.

For months, Rome has been harshly criticized for a series of decisions that were considered anti-European. These included Italy's opposition to a European-wide arrest warrant, and the less than enthusiastic comments of several Italian ministers about last month's introduction of the euro.

Some of Italy's decisions on Europe were seen as serving Mr. Berlusconi's personal interests. The country's initial opposition to the arrest warrant, for instance, was interpreted as an effort to help Mr. Berlusconi out of his continuing legal problems, which include a tax evasion case in Spain (. . . )

In a separate interview, Rocco Buttiglione, the minister of European Union policy, said that Italy would push not only for less regulation from Brussels, but for an overhaul of the European institutions that make the rules.

Unless sweeping changes are made, Mr. Buttiglione predicted, Italians will eventually revolt, "just like at the Boston tea party."

To read the entire article go to:
www.nytimes.com/2002/02/17/international/europe/17ITAL.html?ex=1014965259&ei=1&en=16c10cc4c4e9ffb8

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