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Italy & Romania Meet On Expulsions
Italy and Romania's Prime Ministers will meet tomorrow to smooth relations soured by Italy's expulsion of Romanian citizens.
Following the horrific murder of an Italian woman, Giovanna Reggiani, Italy's authorities pushed through an emergency decree allowing for the immediate expulsion without trial of any immigrants deemed to represent a threat to public safety. A Romanian migrant belonging to the Roma ethnic group has been charged with Mrs Reggiani's murder.
The decree follows several years in which concerns have been voiced about the disproportionate number of crimes committed by immigrants in Italy: A number of high-profile cases have caused particular outcry.
The issue has complicated relations between the two EU nations (Romania joined the Union as a full member this year). While most EU countries (including Italy and Britain) have refused to relax working restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian citizens, there is no law preventing EU citizens travelling to and settling in another EU nation. Up to half a million are thought to have migrated to Italy. According to EU law, however, ejecting those immigrants once they've arrived can be a tricky business.
Europe Round-Up
French strikes, Spanish-US clash on seas, Italians bemoan US justice system, Conservative Muslims tell Tories "Iran needs nukes." And more...
As EURSOC predicted yesterday, the Sarkozy divorce beat yesterday's massive transport strike to the front pages of all the papers... with the exception of the left-wing Libération, which couldn't resist referring to both events with its cover "Divorce Social." Note how Libé reports that the trade unions responsible for yesterday's misery are demanding the "opening of negotiations on the reform of the special regimes." In France, bringing the country grinding to a halt is something the unions do as a statement of intent, rather than as an act of last resort.
Even the Guardian, Britain's closest equivalent of Libération, acknowledges that France is f*cked if Sarkozy can't introduce reform: "He cannot cave in the first time the unions flex their muscles. He was elected to reform labour laws, after a decade of failed attempts to do so."
While warning that Thatcherite strong-arm tactics won't keep public opinion on his side, the Guardian concludes, "France's action man has got to stop talking about reform and start delivering it."
A Blair For Italy?
PM and PM-to-be? Prodi (left) and Veltroni
Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni is voted to head a new centrist "Democratic Party", which supporters hope will offer an alternative to both the unreformed left and Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia.
