Fianna Fáil MEPs back Berlusconi in media vote
The motion condemning interference in the media and calling for legislation banning media monopolies in EU countries was defeated when there were exactly the same number of votes for and against it.
It was put forward by the Liberal group in the Parliament, which Fianna Fáil joined some months ago. However, while the three Irish members voted with the group on all the votes, on the final important one they abstained.
“It was a big surprise for the Liberals and for their leader Guy Verhofstadt who pushed for it when their three newest recruits abstained and helped defeat it,” said one Parliament insider.
Former minister Pat “the Cope” Gallagher, the Fianna Fáil leader in the Parliament, asked for a meeting with Verhofstadt after the vote and apologised for not warning him they intended to abstain. He was joined by the other FF MEPs, Brian Crowley and Liam Aylward.
A number of Italian MEPs who are also members of the group were incensed and some are reported as threatening to vote against issues of particular interest to Ireland, such as agriculture.
A spokesperson for the Fianna Fáil members said they met to discuss their intentions the night before the vote and decided just before the vote to abstain on the main motion.
“We have a tradition of opposing anything that would interfere with national domestic issues,” he said.
He denied they had been requested to vote against or abstain by the Italian members in Berlusconi’s party that were part of the old UEN group, of which Mr Crowley and Cristiana Muscardini were co-presidents for five years. Muscardini’s party merged with Berlusconi’s People of Freedom Party this year and now sits with the EPP.
Liberal member and independent MEP Marian Harkin voted in favour of legislation, as did the three Labour party MEPs, but the Fine Gael MEPs supported their group, to which Berlusconi is affiliated, and voted against.
A report from Reporters Without Borders ranked Italy 49th in the world for press freedom, the worst of any of the EU’s founding members. They blamed Berlusconi’s “harassment of the media, increased meddling, mafia violence against journalists who expose its activity and a bill that would drastically curb the media’s ability to publish official phone tap transcripts”.
Meanwhile more than 100,000 Italian women have signed a petition saying they are offended by Berlusconi after he made a sexist remark to an opposition politician. He made the jibe during a talk show that featured Rosy Bindi, who dresses conservatively and wears glasses.
“You are always more beautiful than intelligent,” he said. She snapped back: “I’m not one of the women at your disposal.”
