91998E2354

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2354/98

by Claudio Azzolini (PPE) , Guido Podestà (PPE) , Antonio Tajani (PPE) and Guido Viceconte (PPE) to the Council

(28 July 1998)

Subject: Restoration of justice and the rule of law in Italy

In an interview given to the magazine "America Oggi", the Milanese Public Prosecutor, PierCamillo Davigo, expressed serious doubts as to the political legitimacy of Mr Silvio Berlusconi's appointment at that time as Italian Prime Minister. The views expressed by the Assistant Public Prosecutor of Milan give the impression that the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office is a political counterweight, foreshadowing conflicts discrediting and destabilizing the Establishment.

For some time now the European Parliament has been urging, by a large majority, the need to separate the various judicial careers precisely in order to avoid incidents such as those revealed through the activities of some of the Italian Public Prosecutor's Offices.

Can the Community Institutions rapidly take all the appropriate urgent measures within their powers necessary to ensure that the rule of law is reestablished within the Italian judicial departments and to penalize and prevent the continuation or repetition of the serious incidents mentioned above which are an infringement of the fundamental rights and guarantees of European citizens and a clear sign that the criminal justice system is being used for political purposes?

Reply

(19 October 1998)

The Council has no competence to deal with the questions raised by the honourable Members of the European Parliament.