The Berlusconi government has now settled in; the ministers, undersecretaries and chairmen of the parliamentary commissions have been appointed. In his speech introducing the government, the new prime minister described his program in very composed tones, which disconcerted the opposition; with all this country’s serious problems, the opposition can think of nothing but resolving the conflict-of-interest issue.

Berlusconi’s response on this subject was scathing. One priority involves the South, a problem that every government has tossed back and forth, from the birth of the First Republic to the last legislature. It seems that one of the first steps of the new government will be aimed at getting the economic ball moving and at implementing the large modernization projects for structures that are now obsolete.
But on this point there’s a big problem, that of local and international mafias working their way into the big project contracts, of which there is no shortage in the South. Thus, before these public works are scheduled and carried out, steps must be taken to ensure that operations are immune from imposed conditions that may come from organized crime.
Other issues have come to the fore in recent days, like the debate on revision of the abortion law, following the proposal by the Hon. Buttiglione aimed at assisting women who, for economic reasons, are inclined to abort. Among the opposition, the internecine struggle continues, reaching harsh and ferocious tones when it is a matter of seeking a still poorly defined leadership. Obviously, the attention of the government and of the whole country is focused on the G8, to be held in July, that sees two lineups facing off: on the one hand the “good guys” who seek dialog, and on the other, those favoring a more intransigent line.
Generally, all the concerns expressed during the electoral campaign, which would have penalized the presence of the center-right in the government, came to nothing. Even England’s Daily Express wrote that, for Italy, the new government represented the only prospect for change. The new Health Minister, Girolamo Sirchia, was a signatory to a document describing the measures necessary to bring hospitals up to standard, and hence he should be quite clear on what corrections need to be made in the health sector.