Berlusconis right-wing coalition, consisting of his own Forza Italia, the post-fascist National Alliance led by Gianfranco Fini, and the separatist Northern League of Umberto Bossi, has already moved into action and passed a number of significant laws. It has introduced repressive anti-immigration measures, forcibly deported poor immigrants, opened the way for the use of the Italian army for domestic purposes and agreed on Italys return to nuclear energy. At the same time Berlusconi has introduced a new immunity law which exempts him from legal prosecution.

The opposition is either paralysed, watches passively or joins in this offensive, as is the case of Walter Veltroni who evidently still retains hopes of being allowed to co-govern as part of a grand coalition of political parties.

Persecution of Roma

At the end of last week, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, chairman of the parliamentary group of the Northern League, announced the latest measure to be agreed by the government: a file is to be drawn up, particularly for Sinti and Roma, containing a DNA data base with digital fingerprints and photos of each individual. The file is to be extended to small children. In order to implement this data base, the government reactivated a fascist law from 1941.

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