Friday, April 18, 2008
By CRAGG Gulliver/ FRANCE 24
La Stampa (Italy)
Governo, i paletti di Bossi
Government: Bossi sets terms
It seems cracks are already appearing in Silvio Berlusconi’s coalition, and the Italian Prime Minister-elect hasn’t even formed his government yet. Umberto Bossi, the leader of the Northern League, Berlusconi’s coalition partner, reportedly shouted at the media mogul in a meeting over cabinet appointments. The Northern federalist wants the government formed quickly, and he wants important roles in it for his party.
The Northern League did unexpectedly well in this election (receiving about 8 percent of the vote) and says it wants that to be reflected in ministerial posts, especially in areas concerning devolution and security . The League had campaigned on a xenophobic platform.
La Repubblica (Italy)
Nuovo governo, la Lega attacca
New government: the League attacks
Worrying, says La Repubblica, noting that “the firemen are out” in the Berlusconi coalition to downplay any divisions… But the left-wing paper also says maybe Bossi is just grand-standing, it’s typical of his style to make outrageous demands and then back down.
La Croix (France)
Aimé Césaire, la mort d’un poète et d’un sage
Aimé Césaire, death of a poet and a wise man
Libération (France)
Le Nègre majuscule
Negro with a capital N
The French papers, meanwhile, are all commemorating Aimé Césaire. “The black hope” is the headline of La Croix, crediting Césaire with being the voice of colonized people’s anger, and also saying the best homage is to read his wonderful poetry. Césaire coined the term Négritude, and Libération emphasizes his success in reclaiming the term negro. Inside the paper there are homages from various luminaries including the Haitian writer Louis-Philippe Dalembert who notes just how far Césaire’s influence stretched… he was a hero not only for the Caribbean but for all of Africa too.
The Guardian (UK)
Chinese Ship carries arms cargo to Mugabe regime
A Chinese ship full of weapons has arrived at Durban, South African bound for Zimbabwe, and the South Africans say they will let it through.
This is front page news in the South African papers, and in the British daily the Guardian. The ship has 77 tonnes of small arms on board, is bound for Robert Mugabe’s regime, and it’s got its papers in order.
The South African authorities say it would be very difficult for them to block this ship’s passage. Cue more criticism of Thabo Mbeki’s government’s conciliatory attitude to Robert Mugabe. The Guardian cites the British government and conservative opposition both voicing concern about arms sales to Zimbabwe, and one member of the South African opposition saying sending these weapons is “like putting a fuse in a powder keg”.
