Italy and Spain have quarrelled over Rome's plans to tighten up its immigration policies as part of a bid to tackle rising tensions among Italians towards migrants from Romania. Franco Frattini, Italy's foreign minister and former European commissioner for immigration, complained about comments on Italy's affairs made by leading politicians in Madrid, noting "Frankly, it's time to stop these [political] pitch invasions." "Declarations from ministers that interfere with the activities of a government elected by the Italian citizens are not acceptable, especially in areas like immigration which need close cooperation between Spain and Italy," Mr Frattini said in a radio interview. He reacted to earlier statements by Spain's deputy premier Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega who had said that the Spanish executive "rejects violence, racism and the xenophobia, and therefore cannot agree with what is happening in Italy."
"Declarations from ministers that interfere with the activities of a government elected by the Italian citizens are not acceptable, especially in areas like immigration which need close cooperation between Spain and Italy," Mr Frattini said in a radio interview.
Viktoria Mohasci, the Bulgarian Rom MP, declared, "The Italian government appears to be strong with the weak and weak with the strong. They talk about Rom so as not to talk about the Camorra."
Luca Romagnoli, who like his party colleague may not be called a Nazi because he is prone to sue, expressed the concept that Europe should create a "Rom state." Claudio Fava replied that Goebbels had already launched the idea. Romagnoli, always precise about his mentors, said that Goebbels had called for the auto-determination of the Rom. I presume that Goebbels concept of auto-determination was achieved with gas.
MP Elly De Groen said, "the political tactics of Berlusconi resemble the ethnic cleansing of Milosovic."
MP Adrian Severin warned that "populist rhetoric of the right prepares racial laws."
Spidla closed the session, "European history shows us that racism and intolerance leads to catastrophe. If we don't learn the lesson from the past sooner or later we are destined to relive it. Today's debate demonstrates that this theme can be manipulated."
The minutes of European parliament debates are on line in English here. Tuesday's afternoon session is not yet available as of this post. It should be up later in the day or tomorrow.
Guardian - Misha Glenny - This xenophobia reveals the power of organised crime
The European commission is currently weighing up draconian penalties against Bulgaria for its failure to deal with organised crime and the influence it wields over public life. But when it comes to Italy, Brussels has always applied double standards. Cracking the whip over a weak accession state such as Bulgaria is easy. But the EU appears scared of threatening similar measures against Italy. If Berlusconi's government fails to adopt serious measures against the Camorra in Naples, the time has come for the EU to take as tough an approach to Italy as it does to Bulgaria. It is simply outrageous that Naples is suffocating under a blanket of smoke and xenophobia generated by an organised crime syndicate that Rome refuses to challenge.
Of ocurse, that xenophobia is politically useful to various political interests currently in the ascendant, so why should they do anything about it ? keep to the Fen Causeway
