02/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - Mario Segni (UEN, Italy) has reacted in a press release to the protests by Forza Italia MEP Antonio Tajani following a parliamentary committee's endorsement of the report by Dutch Liberal Johanna Boogerd-Quaak on the dangers of freedom of speech being violated in the EU, a report that highlights the 'anomaly' of the Italian system, where 'economic, political and media' power is in the hands of 'one man, Silvio Berlusconi' (see EUROPE of 1 April, p.13). Segni said that if Italy requested to join the EU now, it would be rejected because of Berlusconi's conflicts of interest, and the lack of plural sources of news. Tajani said that he saw the report as manoeuvring by the Left, to which Segni replied that the first EP vote on this issue took place following a presentation of resolutions by Segni and 31 other MEPs from the Popular Party and right-wing groups.