Silvio Berlusconi and the Neapolitan Rubbish War

Saturday, March 26 2011. Naples (Campania, Italy). 1,200 tonnes of waste in the streets of Naples. A problem Silvio Berlusconi already solved for good, several times.

Silvio, the road-sweeper

“The waste emergency is over!” declared a triumphant Berlusconi, thank to Guido Bertolaso (then the head of the Civil Protection Department) who dealt with the problem, and the incinerators in Hamburg (Germany), were a few hundred tonnes of garbage were sent, from Campania. Daily. It was July 2008.

The newly elected Prime Minister's blitzkrieg against the garbage of Naples was a visible sign of his utter commitment and ability in tackling Italy long-time problems.

After then, the rubbish problem showed up a few times, from time to time. And our hero (and his staff) always answered in a snappy way, as usual. With a great deal of humour and levity.

Naples today (ANSA)

Here are some of the best puns: “My challenge is to make Naples the cleanest city in Italy and in the world!” and “the model should be Singapore, where littering was punished with 7 lashes on the back”, “Let's talk about the REAL waste” and “TG3 (note: the RAI “communist” channel's news) does not exist”, “It (the Acerra's incinerator) will pollute like three small cars”, “In Acerra everything works perfectly” and “Were has he been? In Acerra or Disneyworld”.

At least he managed to find where the problem is: Mafia control over the waste business, illegal dumping of risky waste, the Neapolitans are not recycling enough, the Neapolitans should behave in a better way, the (old) Naples' administration was full of communists. Will he find the REAL solution too?

Silvio Berlusconi DID NOT sing any song

Thursday, 24 March 2011. Silvio Berlusconi DID NOT sing any song. Signed: The Italian Government's Cabinet.

The Cabinet of the Italian Government issues a clarifying note – through it's official site www.governo.it – that should stop for good the terrible and slanderous rumours the communist press has been spreading around in the previous days.

The Italian Government official note

The rumours follow the dinner Mr Berlusconi organised at Palazzo Grazioli, his residence in Rome, with a group of members of the Italian Parliament, called the Responsible Ones (Movement of National Responsibility). The group - founded by Domenico Scilipoti - is called "The Responsible Ones" because the members switched sides (they were affiliated to Antonio Di Pietro's Italy of Values), in order to keep Silvio Berlusconi's coalition alive.