Political turmoil and the unprecedented humanitarian disaster off the coast of the Southern Italian island, Lampedusa: Italy continues to occupy the international spotlight.
In the early hours of October 3, a boat carrying refugees, mostly from Eritrea and Somalia, capsized after catching fire, leaving as many as 300 people dead. Italy has called for greater political support from the rest of the European Union in order to deal with migrant issues, while Pope Francis called for justice for the desperate driven to flee from their homelands into danger. The disaster has also spurred fresh calls to review Italy’s immigration laws.
On October 1, value-added tax (VAT) was raised from 21 to 22 percent. According to the Italian consumer association Confcommercio, the increase in VAT will mean that the average household in Italy will spend between 100 and 350 euro more annually.
Overtly as a reaction to the planned increase in VAT, but more likely in response to Berlusconi’s conviction for tax fraud, five ministers of Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party tendered their resignations from the grand coalition government. Prime Minister Enrico Letta called a confidence vote, in which three-time prime minister Berlusconi made a dramatic U-turn, voting in favour of the government after members of his own party threatened to break rank.
On October 4, a Senate panel voted in favour of stripping Berlusconi of his seat in parliament after the Supreme Court upheld a tax fraud conviction against the former prime minister in August. The vote must be ratified by the Senate, which is expected to happen in the next three weeks.
