The Battle of Berlusconi heats up

In the wake of a further episode in the war between Italy's national broadcaster and Silvio Berlusconi, La Repubblica leads with the headline, "A crazy day for RAI." Annozero, the talk show on the RAI2 channel, which was already in trouble with the Prime Minister for featuring one of his most outspoken critics, Marco Travaglio, poured petrol on the flames of controversy by inviting Patrizia D'Addario, the prostitute that launched Italy's current "sexgate" scandal when she admitted being paid to go to bed with Berlusconi. The embattled Prime Minister, who announced that he is "furious," vainly attempted to cancel Annozero before going on a special programme to deny Addario's allegations.

In the columns of La Repubblica, Curzio Maltese ironically remarks that Annozero's presenter "Santoro could not find any centre-right politician willing to appear on a TV show marred by the presence of such a disgraceful woman." However, they had no qualms about "featuring on election lists with Patrizia and a large number of other young women who were 'rewarded' with an opportunity to run for office" by Berlusconi's People of Freedom party. In a further article in the daily — which is also published in El País, Le Figaro, The Times and Die Zeit — Roberto Saviano reminds readers of the need to support freedom of the press. The FNSI (United Italian Journalists' Union) is to hold a demonstration in support of this campaign in Rome on 3 October.