A pochi giorni dal sisma del 6 aprile 2009, in un’intervista alla televisione tedesca N-Tv, il presidente del Consiglio Silvio Berlusconi, riferendosi agli sfollati del terremoto, disse: «Hanno tutto quello di cui hanno bisogno. Hanno medicine, hanno pasti caldi… Naturalmente è una sistemazione provvisoria, dovrebbero considerarlo come un fine settimana in campeggio». Il premier si difese dicendo che cercava solo di infondere ottimismo. Ma la frittata era fatta.
Immediate furono le critiche sui principali siti tedeschi. Il Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung la mise in apertura della sua homepage. Lo Spiegel online: «Berlusconi paragona i letti provvisori a un campeggio nel fine settimana». La tv pubblica Zdf sul suo sito: «Berlusconi schernisce le vittime del terremoto». Titolo analogo sul sito del Bild: «Berlusconi deride le vittime del terremoto».

Nel cablogramma che segue, l’articolo 7 si riferisce ai commenti di alcuni giornali tedeschi e trasmessi dall’ambasciata di Berlino negli USA e varie ambasciate e punti di riferimento degli Stati Uniti nel mondo. Ne deriva un quadro poco edificante per l’Italia, con un presidente del Consiglio che fa battute anche sulla tragedia del terremoto, ridicolizzando il paese che dovrebbe rappresentare. Un’altra “perla”, come indicava un giornale tedesco, che si aggiungeva a quelle collezionate dal premier italiano. Un disastro, un clown, che vede il mondo come un circo, secondo altri giornali tedeschi. Il documento intero (in lingua inglese) è scaricabile in formato pdf in fondo all’articolo.

Sono passati 29 mesi, continua lo spettacolo del circo, e i clown sono aumentati (anche a L’Aquila)

Cable: 09BERLIN422, MEDIA REACTION: CUBA, MOLDOVA, GITMO, COUNTER-PIRACY

Reference ID: 09BERLIN422
Created: 2009-04-09 12:51
Released: 2011-08-30 01:44
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Origin: Embassy Berlin

7. (Italy) Berlusconi on Earthquake Victims
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said: “Italian crisis management has learned its lessons from the earthquake in Irpinia in 1980 and in Umbria in 1997. Firefighters, police officers, Carabinieri, and the military arrived quickly to help. Civil defense organizations were able to rely on [emergency] plans and reserves. Prime Minister Berlusconi talked a lot – and sometimes he said even strange things – but he acted purposefully, like a company owner who wanted to resolve problems but did not want to talk… He and his ministers conveyed the impression that they were prepared for such a situation, that they knew which measures to take and that they would not leave the people alone. Government and the rescue sources are still far away from being perfect, but they have backed the affected people to keep them from sinking into misery, and the rest of the nation to offer reasonable assistance.”

In the view of Tagesspiegel, “Silvio Berlusconi again put his foot in it. He is a master at doing this. He has not learned his lesson, not even the dying in the debris can refrain him from making embarrassing statements that are as numerous as the grains of sand on the Adriatic coast.
In reality, the term ‘embarrassing’ is too weak for the things he inflicts on others. With his clowneries, Berlusconi is exposing his country to ridicule, he defames Italy. And nowhere in Italian politics is anyone in sight who could save Italy.”

Regional daily Ostsee Zeitung of Rostock opined: “We can rely on Silvio Berlusconi: If there is some way for him to put his foot in it, then the Italian political lout will do so. Yesterday, the media billionaire, in his capacity as prime minister, added another ‘pearl’ to his anthology of quotations. He compared the misery of the homeless people in L’Aquila with a ‘camping weekend.’ Italy is certainly a special case. It is a country where Berlusconi has become the prime minister for the fourth time thanks to his power in the media. Nevertheless, Berlusconi is the living evidence of not gaining in stature in an office that is being transferred to him.
Thanks for this, Silvio!“

Regional daily Nuernberger Zeitung argued: “Those who have lost their legs do not need to spend money on shoes, and if a roof collapses during an earthquake, the people affected can be delighted with a camping holiday paid for by the state. This is the view of Italy’s Prime Minister Berlusconi. Disasters cannot shock a man like him, since he is a disaster himself. Is it worthwhile saying a word about him? Especially during crises, the world loves this clown. As long as he governs, the whole world is like a circus, and nothing is really serious. Not everyone lives in L’Aquila.”

Scarica il il documento completo in lingua inglese (formato pdf)