Rome, 14/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - "Italy's position in Europe is as sound as ever and perhaps sounder than ever: the government and its foreign policy are in excellent health, and it is not a slight media fever fuelled at home (…) that will change the clinical situation", exclaimed Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi during the debate on his government's European policy. The debate was held at the Italian Parliament during the afternoon of 14 January, at the request of the centre-left opposition, following the resignation of Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero. Mr Berlusconi thanked the latter for his work and said he felt the matter had caused "a good deal of noise for nothing". He reaffirmed that he will cover the Foreign Minister's post in the interim "for a limited time" and pointed out that he will then leave the post to a "suitable person" as soon as the foundations are lain for "redirection and updating" of Italy's place "in the family of nations". Mr Berlusconi spoke of a "new phase" in foreign policy and noted that "no one" should think Italy can be treated as a "subject with limited sovereignty". He defended his vision of a policy in which "the road to trade is one of the key roads in foreign policy". Here, Mr Berlusconi entered into polemic, without citing his name, with Louis Michel (who, answering press questions, had given him a "zero" mark), speaking of a "show-off politician who likes to give the others marks".
On substance, Mr Berlusconi, who was applauded on several occasions by his majority, said among other things: - as regards the future reform of the EU: "one mustn't put the cart before the horse, by already saying when the rule of unanimity should disappear" as, even if the Italian government foresees "a long cycle of political integration" for the future, the nature, the scope and the time it takes for this process "is not already written down". Thus, for example, he believes one cannot "improvise", today, what will happen to common foreign policy, defence policy, agricultural policy, tax harmonisation and Welfare reform; - Europe will be "secular" but it must recognise its "Christian tradition": one should not ignore the appeal made by the Pope, for example, "warning us against the risk of giving life to a body without soul" (at this point Mr Berlusconi referred to De Gasperi, speaking of a "certain European religion" existing in Italy; - Italy must defend the principle of subsidiarity and "will know how to make its voice heard in the defence of its national interests" while working for "rapid and effective" integration. "A Europe of exclusive directorates would be lame from birth", he exclaimed.