NEW YORK – If you will allow me, Mr. Minister, the foreign ministry is Italy\u2019s standard bearer around the world. How does it feel to have to bear the image of a nation once again, witness the case of Lazio, smeared with shame?<\/STRONG><\/P> \u00abIt is a wound, a gaping wound that we must now attempt to mend\u00bb.<\/P> Giulio Maria Terzi di Sant\u2019Agata has returned to the General Assembly, this time as a minister. Imagine the indignation, as Barack Obama speaks of the Arab Spring, of Syria, of the progress being made in Somalia \u2013 \u201ctherefore also acknowledging Italy\u2019s successful efforts, since these are the real pillars of our foreign policy\u201d \u2013 at having to account for the latest scandal back home; when there are already \u201csome 300,000 Syrian refugees, which could double by the year\u2019s end, pouring onto our shores\u201d, and while the attack on Benghazi has \u201crefocused the attention on terrorist cells, which are also attempting to infiltrate our country\u201d \u2013 indeed, two Libyans were deported yesterday.<\/P> The world is in turmoil, but Italy\u2019s image abroad is once again one of outrageous revelry \u2013 this time sporting centurions, slaves and pigs\u2019 head masks. What\u2019s more, Terzi knows very well what it means to bear the Italian standard high, which, as Italy\u2019s Ambassador to Washington, he had occasion to do as the U.S. media bubbled over with tales of \u201cbunga bunga\u201d. <\/P> So, Mr. Minister, just one year later, as the entire world recognises the progress made by the Monti government, American newpapers are once again gossiping about us.<\/STRONG><\/P> \u00abI answer for what has transpired since this government was installed. And I can say that we have been able to confront this crisis of image with a forceful response\u00bb.<\/P> How, by trying to erase the image of the Silvio Berlusconi government<\/STRONG>?<\/P> \u00abShall I give you a list? Tax discipline; austerity in public spending; transparency; administrative rigour; savings resulting from a spending review to which, I would point out, the foreign ministry made its contribution\u00bb.<\/P> Exactly, rigour \u2013 and then Lazio.<\/STRONG><\/P> \u00abItaly also has lots of stories of efficiency and good administration to tell. But…\u00bb.<\/P> But even you have to admit, even the government has admitted, that this has not been enough.<\/STRONG><\/P> \u00abThis very Assembly opened precisely on the subject of corruption. Between Syria, the nuclear problem and the Middle East, a decision has been approved that strengthens the rule of law, institutions and the principle of justice. Corruption is a priority cited by the United Nations itself\u00bb. <\/P> Barack Obama said it in his speech. \u00abFighting corruption. Promoting open and transparent governments\u00bb. And here we are, once again, with our shame.<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK – If you will allow me, Mr. Minister, the foreign ministry is Italy\u2019s standard bearer around the world. How does it feel to have to bear the image of a nation once again, witness the case of Lazio, smeared with shame? \u00abIt is a wound, a gaping wound that we must now attempt […]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[76],"class_list":["post-24452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviste","tag-ministri-precedenti"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24452"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24452\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esteri.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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