The crisis of the Mohammed-Cartoon continues to flare up throughout Europe. Most recently, Italy’s Reforms Minister Roberto Calderoli found himself in the spotlight after wearing a T-shirt with the satirical caricature on a February 15 RAI state television interview. Two days later, 11 people were killed and 40 wounded in Benghazi, Libya , which was an Italian colony, during protests and arson against the Italian consulate. With the prompting of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who cannot constitutionally force ministers from their posts, Calderoli, claiming the deaths were unrelated to his wardrobe, resigned his post three days later, calling the ordeal “shamefully manipulated.” According to La Repubblica, Calderoli contended that: “I may even be sorry for the victims, but what happened in Libya has nothing to do with my T-shirt. That is not what’s at stake…What’s at stake is Western civilization.” Italy’s Ambassador Francesco Trupiano admitted that Calderoli likely agitated an already simmering Islamic population but would not blame him for the deaths. Regardless, Calderoli may face a hefty fine of 1,000-5,000 Euros for “contempt of religion.”
Libya’s Premier Moammar Gaddafi, who has vowed to prosecute some of the more violent protesters, and Berlusconi, who expressed sorrow for the deaths, reaffirmed “friendly relations” that same day. This, however, must be counterbalanced by Gaddafi’s son Saif al Islam’s comments that: “If the Italian government fails to [take action], Italian relations with Libya will go through a serious and crucial stage during which these ties will be reassessed and reviewed.”
Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini expressed concern that protests, like those in Libya, might lead to additional violence and boycotts, not unlike those seen against Denmark , across the Middle East. In Libya alone, there are some 50 Italian companies present, with over 1,000 Italians residing in country. The numbers grow exponentially when the entire Middle East is viewed.
Calderoli is a key figure head for the Lega Nord (Northern League), an anti-immigrant party that has a sizable following in the northern sections of Italy and is a component of Berlusconi’s four-party coalition government. Lega Nord was long secessionist, although the group has modified its stance to devolution from Italy. However, their English website continues to say that Padania “?struggle[s] together as a federation to achieve cultural and economic independence.” While Calderoli claimed not to have meant “to offend the Muslim religion” but rather “to affirm [Christian] values in which I believe,” his actions speak volumes of the party he leads and of his own mindset. Berlusconi seems yet unwilling to distance himself from the alliance.
Berlusconi faced uncertainty for the April 9-10 parliamentary election before Calderoli’s faux pas. He has been trying to position himself as a moderate conservative (center-right), and this debacle certainly has been detrimental. Calderoli’s foible will translate to a serious setback for the ruling government. In its aftermath, opposition parties that are now leading public opinion polls by 4-5 percent have called for Berlusconi’s ouster. For example, the Refound Communist Party has called for the unilateral resignation of the government over “manifest incompetence.” Further, Romano Prodi , a center-left leader, has called out the current coalition on charges of fostering extremism. Prodi has said that resigning his post is “the least” Berlusconi can do.
The US Bush administration has been staunchly behind Berlusconi. The two men are currently visiting in Washington DC. When asked about the upcoming election, Bush said: “My relationship is not a political relationship with [Berlusconi]. It’s a strategic relationship…” Italy’s presence in Iraq is deeply unpopular, the Italian economy is weak, and the cartoon gaffe have all underscored Berlusconi’s fallibility to Romano Prodi, who beat him once before in the 1996 election and who is likely to maintain the political stability so coveted by President Bush.
