Freimut Duve demands separation between media and politics in Italy

VIENNA, 23 May 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve, issued a call to the new Italian Government and to the European Union States demanding a clear and transparent legal and economic separation between elected prime minister Berlusconi's media-business interests and his future role as the political chief of the Government in an unambiguous way.

At the conference "Europe's Image in the Media" organized by the European Media Institute in Aachen on 22 May, Mr. Duve pointed out that the cornerstone of parliamentary democracy, that is the independence of journalistic media from any direct government control - the distribution of powers - is endangered in one of the leading democracies of the European Union, Italy.

Independent media, the fourth power in the mechanisms of checks and balances, are crucial for all democratic societies. The clear separation between media and politics is a substantial part of the political history of the European Union and should not be undermined by one of its Member States.



With regards to the new political constellation in Italy Freimut Duve sees the implementation of his mandate in the south-eastern European States jeopardized. Italy must be aware of its significant role for the states in south-eastern Europe, as an example of a functioning democracy with free, independent and pluralistic media, Duve added.

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For further information please contact the office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, tel. + 43 1 512 21 45-0, Fax + 43 1 512 21 45-9.