Stefano Rodotà on the Berlusconi laws and the death of democracy

According to many legal experts the new law in Italy on shortening the length of court cases is primarily meant to protect Silvio Berlusconi from trial and sentencing. Stefano Rodotà fears in the left-liberal daily La Repubblica that Italian democracy may soon be in its death throes: "Power has become concentrated in the hands of just a few people, and they increasingly believe they own the state. They do all they can to abolish other state institutions to avoid having their own power curtailed. ... But the main victim here is the constitution. That is demonstrated by the fact that every new law brings with it a discussion over whether the president will sign it, or if it will be declared unconstitutional. ... We must not forget in all this that the constitution ends with an article that deserves special attention today. Article 139 runs: 'The republican form of the state may not be changed by way of constitutional amendment.' ... That means that our constitutional system contains a series of characteristics which define the form of our democracy, and that may not be changed without adopting a new type of regime."

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