D’Alema and Qatargate: “I’m neither a businessman nor a lobbyist. Panzeri and Cozzolino? People I respected”

The people involved in Qatargate “have such a history that one cannot help but be shocked and saddened. I share the intransigence of Robert Hope and of the Pd. However, I do not find it acceptable that this story be taken and used as a cudgel to demolish a history and a ruling class, confusing things that are totally incompatible with each other”. Massimo D’Alema, in an interview with Corriere della Sera, talks about the Qatargate scandal that has engulfed the European Parliament. Panzeri and Cozzolino “are people I’ve known for years and whom I respected. In Panzeri’s case we are talking about the former secretary of the Milan Chamber of Labour. A figure with an important trade union history behind him, certainly not D’Alema’s assistant ” explains.

Regarding the scandal, “I could never have suspected such a thing and in fact I find it indecent, which deserves a firm response in defense of the European Parliament – he adds – I must say that I have many doubts on the fact that this type of pressure has prevented for Europe to make its own decisions”. Be that as it may, “even the mere attempt to condition the institutions through a corruptive work is unacceptable”.

D’Alema agrees with the deputy secretary of the Democratic Party Provenzano in being against revolving doors between politics and economic activity, “but I am neither a businessman nor a lobbyist. For several years I have had a consultancy business before starting which, it is in the records, I wrote to secretary Speranza a letter of resignation from the governing bodies of Article 1 – he underlines – In my case there are no revolving doors; but different seasons in life that must be marked by a rigid principle of incompatibility. I marked them”. D’Alema says he is tired of “reading certain lies” about him, “in fact I turned to the lawyers to discuss the matter in the appropriate offices. It is false, just to mention one – he reiterates – that I mediated in the sale of weapons or that he defrauded the Italian government with defective ventilators”.