[Dominic's Comments: Good to see the NYT at the threshold of getting a clue.
Well, I guess with the UK's policy imprimatur, the accusations from the
center-left are exposed for what they really were...
Same liberal media bias - different country...]

[RAA Comment: Italy's Position is so obviously the practical approach, 
enjoying the benefits of Confederation, while enjoying the benefits of 
Diversity
of each of the nations, and resisting "Homogenization"]
====================================================

ITALY COOLING ON EUROPE, 
AND 2 AIDES EXPLAIN WHY

By Melinda Hennebeger
New York Times
Sunday,February 17, 2002

ROME, Feb. 16 - Italy's scaled- back vision of European integration may be 
a scandal on the Continent, but officials here insist that like George W. Bush 
they have the right to put their national interests first.

In recent interviews, two cabinet members said that Italy had often sacrificed 
national interests in favor of a common European agenda - but no more.

>From now on, Italy will be interested in cooperating mainly on defense and 
foreign policy. Beyond that, "anything that could be done better at the 
national level should be," said Antonio Martino, Italy's defense minister.

The new Italian model within the European Union is Britain, historically a 
much more reserved partner.

Italy's conservative prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, who took office in June, 
is heavily promoting the idea of a British-Italian-Spanish counterweight to 
Germany and France. The British leader, Tony Blair, visited here on Friday 
and Italian officials used the occasion to discuss liberalizing labor and 
energy markets and to emphasize that their countries now shared a similarly 
restricted view of European integration.

For months, Rome has been harshly criticized for a series of decisions that 
were considered anti-European. These included Italy's opposition to a 
European-wide arrest warrant, and the less than enthusiastic comments of 
several Italian ministers about last month's introduction of the euro.

Some of Italy's decisions on Europe were seen as serving Mr. Berlusconi's 
personal interests. The country's initial opposition to the arrest warrant, for 
instance, was interpreted as an effort to help Mr. Berlusconi out of his 
continuing legal problems, which include a tax evasion case in Spain (. . . )

In a separate interview, Rocco Buttiglione, the minister of European 
Union policy, said that Italy would push not only for less regulation from 
Brussels, but for an overhaul of the European institutions that make the 
rules.

Unless sweeping changes are made, Mr. Buttiglione predicted, Italians 
will eventually revolt, "just like at the Boston tea party."

==========================
To read the entire article go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/17/international/europe/17ITAL.html?ex=101496
5259&ei=1&en=16c10cc4c4e9ffb8