ROME, July 20 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, facing sliding approval ratings, was forced to substantially water down a draft bill limiting the use of wiretaps that has been criticised even by his own allies.
The bill initially aimed to ban media from publishing phone tap transcripts until suspects were sent to trial, a step critics said would limit the ability of the press to report on investigations given the lengthy delays common in the Italian justice system.
A government amendment presented on Tuesday bowed to pressure from newspapers, the opposition and members of Berlusconi’s party, allowing the publication of transcripts when considered relevant by investigating magistrates.
By rowing back on one of the most controversial elements of the bill, which Berlusconi says is needed to protect privacy, the government hopes to silence critics within the ruling coalition and win parliament approval by the end of the month.
"Common sense prevailed," said Italo Bocchino, a member of Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PDL) party who had voiced strong reservations about the original bill.
Berlusconi said the changes made the bill look different from what he originally had in mind.
"The wiretaps law will change little from the current situation, and therefore will not allow Italians to speak freely on the phone," he said.
Opponents of the restrictions on the use of wiretaps by police and the publication of transcripts have said the measures would help criminals and muzzle the press at a time when the government is engulfed in a widening corruption scandal.
Under the new rules, magistrates can order wiretaps only if they have serious evidence that a crime has been committed. Time restrictions would apply and special authorisations would be needed to tap the phones of parliamentarians.
MAJOR CONCESSION
The original bill had exposed the growing rift between Berlusconi and his nominal ally Gianfranco Fini, the co-founder of the PDL party who has been engaged in an acrimonious conflict with the premier over recent months.
Berlusconi’s decision to change the draft and avoid a showdown in parliament appears to be a significant concession just as opinion polls show coalition bickering and a string of government resignations are hurting his popularity.
A survey in La Repubblica newspaper on Tuesday showed Berlusconi’s approval rating had fallen to 39 percent and is now 10 percentage points lower than it was a year ago.
La Repubblica is a left-leaning daily but its IPR poll mirrors recent surveys published by other newspapers.
The poll said moderate voters in particular appeared to have lost confidence in Berlusconi and his government, citing the toxic climate within the party and the government’s legal woes.
Two ministers and a junior minister have resigned since May over judicial investigations, and more heads could roll.
The most recent scandal, which cost Economy Undersecretary Nicola Consentino his job last week, centres on an alleged secret conspiracy by PDL politicians and friendly magistrates to influence political appointments and judicial decisions.
The centre-left opposition however had little to cheer about, according to the IPR survey. The popularity of the main opposition Democratic Party (PD), which is also riven by internal divisions, slipped 2 points to 32 percent.
