Silvio Berlusconi’s dismal record in honouring Italy’s commitment to increase development aid is coming under the G8 spotlight at an unfortunate time.
Bono, the anti-poverty compaigner, just happens to be Italy on tour with U2 and laid into Mr Berlusconi (respectfully of course) in a concert in Milan on Tuesday night:
“It is well known that I have had some differences with your prime minister over promises that were made and not kept to the World’s poor.
I would like you to know that never ever would I disrespect the Italian people – Never.
Or the prime minister’s party or even the prime minister as a person, I do not disrespect.
But as prime minister right now – Yes.
Italians have given many gifts to the world, modern physics, the renaissance… the piano, the gift of singing from Pavarotti to Puccini to Jovanotti to Zucchero. You have so many gifts.
Well in the next few days… Your leader will decide where he stands on the gift of life that lives beyond these shores.”
Poetry. But one suspects that it will take more than a few lectures from Bono to persuade Mr Berlusconi to keep the promises he made at Gleneagles in 2005.