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| Europe |
| Italy's Berlusconi vows crackdown on criminal 'army of evil' |
| 2008-04-15 |
| Silvio Berlusconi wasted no time in naming key cabinet posts Tuesday, a day after his emphatic victory in Italian elections, as he vowed to crack down on illegal immigrants and a criminal "army of evil." The media tycoon said his full cabinet would take shape within a week, to include Franco Frattini, the current justice commissioner of the European Union, as foreign minister and longtime aide Gianni Letta as deputy prime minister. The Milan billionaire, who won a third term as premier by a solid margin on Monday, said the crucial economy portfolio would go to Giulio Tremonti, who served in the role under his previous government. Berlusconi, 71, vowed to cooperate with Italy's neighbours in "deporting non-EU citizens who are here and do not have work or home and are forced into crime in order to live." "We need to step up neighbourhood police who can be an army of good ... placing themselves between the Italian people and the army of evil," Berlusconi said in a telephone interview with Rai Uno television. The main challenge facing the new government is to pull Italy out of a deepening economic slump. More than half of Italians surveyed at the end of March -- 51.4 percent, way up from 36 percent a year ago -- felt that their personal economic situation had worsened. The economy grew just 1.5 percent last year, and the outlook for 2008 is bleaker still at 0.6 percent. Berlusconi said he had no plans to rest before taking up his duties as prime minister for the third time since 1994. "I'm at my desk at 7:15 and am bursting with energy from all my pores. I'm not tired at all, I just have a hoarse voice, which is understandable." Praise and criticism began pouring in on Tuesday, with US President George W. Bush saying he was eager to work again Berlusconi who was one of Bush's strongest European allies, notably in the run-up to the Iraq war. Under Berlusconi, Italy contributed troops to the March 2003 invasion despite massive opposition at home. The Italian billionaire will be a precious ally to opponents of a strong euro and of European budgetary discipline, notably for French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who vowed to "deepen the traditional bond of friendship" between their two countries. And Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely be the first to congratulate Berlusconi in person, with plans to stop in Italy on Thursday as part of one of the Russian leader's final trips before he steps down on May 7, the Kremlin said. In Brussels, German euro MP Martin Schultz, head of the Socialists in the EU parliament, warned that Berlusconi's alliance with the "extreme-right, openly xenophobic" Northern League party, represented a "real danger for Italy and for Europe." |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #6 OldSpook - one of my favorite movies. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2008-04-15 22:13 |
| #5 Criminal "army of evil." 1) Mooselimbs 2) Leftoids 3) Both? Almost all Gypsies moved to UK in recent years, Anonymoose. Better welfare benefits package. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2008-04-15 19:57 |
| #4 I wonder who he is talking about *more*, Muslims or Gypsies? |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-04-15 16:01 |
| #3 (Obscure Army of Darkness + Evil Dead reference) |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-04-15 15:47 |
| #2 Better stick with the Boomstick. And remember kiddies, Shop Smart, Shop S-Mart. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-04-15 15:40 |
| #1 hope that 1) his life insurance is current, and, 2) he has somebody else start his car. look for a hit attempt before year's end. |
| Posted by: USN,Ret. 2008-04-15 13:50 |