Referendum results

On 12 and 13 June the Italians were called to vote on three issues:
nuclear, water management and 'legittimo impedimento'.

A referendum is valid if at least 50% of the population expresses his opinion. It is said that the quorum was reached.
The last time a referendum (type like 12-13 June 2011) reached a quorum was in Italy in 1995.

The Italian people have responded decisively: 56% attendance and an average of 95% of votes in favor of the proposed repeal of the law.


Italy says NO to building new nuclear plants.
Italy says NO to private management of water.
Italy says NO to 'legittimo impedimento': the leading figures of government, as the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, can be processed even during their political mandate.

Runoff elections

Yet an overwhelming victory for the left in Italian politics during the runoff elections.
In Milan he won Pisapia (55.1%) against Moratti (44.9%).
In Naples, De Magistris (65.4%) crushes Lettieri (34.6%).
Also in Cagliari and Triestre victory of opposition candidates.



Berlusconi reacted by declaring that electors should repent because they have made ​​a mistake. "The Government will proceed".

Results of local elections 15/16 May 2011

MILAN - balot between Pisapia (left-wing politics, liberal, 48.04%) and Moratti (right-wing politics, 41.58%)

NAPLES - balot between Lettieri (right-wing politics, 38.52%) and De Magistris (left-wing politics27.52%)

TURIN - Fassino, left-wing politics, win with 56.66%. Coppola (right-wing politics, 27.30%)

BOLOGNA - Merola, left-wing politics, win with 50.46%. Bernardini (30.35)

TRIESTE - balot between Cosolini (left-wing politics, 40.64%) and Antonione (right-wing politics, 27.56%)

CAGLIARI - balot between Zedda (left-wing politics, 45.15%) and Fantola (right-wing politics, 44.71%).

Disappointment for a lot of Italian liberals.
In the first round almost all the cities are driven politician from the left.
Lose a lot Lega Nord, the last turn had very high percentages of votes.

Incredible growth of the Movimento 5 Stelle - beppegrillo.it. Turin approaches 5%, 10% of Bologna, 3.2% Milan.

Referendum with the helmet

A free translation of a little part of Beppe Grillo's book
Spegniamo il nucleare (Turn off nuclear energy)
(here you can read the initial part of book, in italian)



At this point it is clear, the business committee PDL and PD decided that nuclear needs to be done. Italy's economic-industrial growth is related to the atom. The media are soon aligned. Who is willing to forget that in 1987 twenty million of Italians voted in a referendum against nuclear power? We do not.
Scajola and Marcegaglia will be more important than the Italians? Who authorized them to take decisions on behalf of all? The reasoning would be to do the following: we wants nuclear power? We takes a new referendum, and then we'll see. If Italians will vote in favor, then you can do. Otherwise not. You can not build nuclear power plants ignoring the result of a referendum. Yet our Government doing it and it left without asking what we thought.

But we have not given up. The citizens took to the streets and have started collecting signatures to hold a referendum. The collection began in May 2010 on the initiative of Italia dei Valori ​​and the Movement for the public water. They needed 500,000 signatures, but the party of Yes (ie no to nuclear power) has collected two million: so many that we forced our employees of government to organize a referendum to keep us close the achievement of 1987. The battle to win is now a quorum of 50 percent plus one. Despite the obstacles that we are developing against. The first starting date proposed was May 29, so to bring together the ballot vote (of the amministrative elections, May 15) with the referendum. Italy could save 350 milion, and time and energy to individual citizens. Minister Maroni know very well this and early March submitted to the Council of Ministers a plan to divide events: the first round of administrative May 15, May 29 the ballot vote, and referendum will be in June 12. Three exhausting rounds of voting (and associated costs) over a month and a half. Why?

The truth is that the referendum is scary to parties. Together to bury nuclear and even the privatization of water that is its Siamese sister. Nuclear power, in fact, can not exist without the use of huge amounts of water normally removed from agriculture. And water can not be removed from the people if it is public.
A single day election should be, first of all, state's interest as an incentive to participation in institutional life. But the Minister of Interior, headstrong, confirmed the decision to separate "according to an Italian tradition that has always distinguished the two dates." In reality there's to abolish a small paragraph of Italian's laws that prevent that the referendum be held with local elections.
In the Italian parliament vote on March 16 about the unification of dates. The result was 276 against and 275 in favor.

[...] the absence of ten members, eight of Fli and two IDV. The "Faces of Nuclear" opposition are: Capano, Cirnadoro, Ciriello, D'Antona, Farina, Fassino, Fedi, Gozi, Madia, Mastromauro, Porcino, Samperi. Where were these lords that are paid by Italians? They shall be responsible to the nation of a failure quorum. The construction of nuclear power plants in Piedmont, Sardinia, Campania. The future of our children. There is no justification for their absence.

Italy and nuclear energy

The day after the tragedy in Fukushima, all the world wonders about the future of nuclear power. The answer is unique: we must stop the nucelar, it is not the future.
All of Europe think so. Except Italy.
The Italian Minister of Ecology, Stefania Prestigiacomo, is only european responsible to say that the projects on nuclear energy will continue. Like Prestigiacomo the entire Italian political class shares the idea.
Italy is one of the countries with the highest seismic risk and population density in the world.

French influence

The Italian Air Force bombed Libya for the first time in the newconflict in North Africa.
The operations are starting after a meeting between government leaders Sarkozy and Berlusconi.
In the weeks before the French did not accept on its territory forhundreds of immigrants who arrived after it landed on Italian shores.

Napoli - April 27th

New truth about the sex scandals of Berlusconi

It seem only gossip. But there's more...
Italy is the only nation where a the Prime Minister involved in this type of scandals don't resigns.



Berlusconi is accused of child prostitution.
Italian law provides from 6 to 12 years in prison.
The evidence is overwhelming, unequivocal dozens of interceptions.
It 's a story quite complex and well explained here. Here you can read an automatic translation of the entire document.
In the next days I'll try to tranlsate and make a summary of article.


Recall also from the Vatican (Berlusconi often said to be a Catholic believer and practitioner).



Here some other links (in english) on La Repubblica:
- http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2010/10/29/news/colaprico_berlusconi_english_version-8554534/index.html?ref=search
- http://www.repubblica.it/politica/2010/10/28/news/ruby_and_berlusconi_my_nights_in_arcore-8523576/

The case Matteo Miotto

Matteo Miotto was an Italian soldier killed in Afghanistan 31 December 2010.

The first version released about his killing was about an attack of a sniper who was shot in the shoulder of the military, where it was not protected by his bulletproof vest.



This version lasted a few days.

Then there were denials:
Miotto was killed in a gunfight that lasted several minutes and in which several shots were fired.

The story is not very clear and the few witnesses do not issue statements.


Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa tries to justify the lack of clear evidence.