The
latest years, democratically elected leaders of EU members have been
receiving letters from the European Central Bank (ECB), asking them
to impose austerity measures and protect the private banks. Two of
them that did not immediately obey, were replaced by former bankers,
or ECB executives. The rest, were forced to capitulate when they saw
their banking system on bring of total collapse.
2011 was a
difficult year for Silvio Berlusconi. Wrapped up in yet another sex
scandal, he does not realize that he is about to be overthrown.
Berlusconi was one of the worst, most corrupt Italian leaders.
However, he was right when he said that he had been chased from power
by means of a kind of coup d'état.
Alan
Friedman, a Financial Times correspondent at the time, was
investigating the revolving doors that connect businessmen and EU
officials that participated in Berlusconi's expulsion.
As Friedman
reveals: “President Napolitano, as far back as 2011, so, six
months before the government fell, had secretly begun talks with
Mario Monti, the former European Commissioner, and with a big banker,
Corrado Passera, who was the chief executive of the biggest bank in
Italy, and he was already planning a new government, a new government
policy, a new economic program.”, and “Carlo De Benedetti,
the former Olivetti chief, an Italian billionaire, told me how in the
summer of 2011, Mario Monti, the former European Commissioner, came
to visit him at his house, in the Swiss jet set resort of St. Moritz.
And what he came to ask him was advice, saying 'I had this offer to
be available to take over as Prime Minister. What should I do?'
Former Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, of Italy, told me he had a
similar conversation with Monti, also asking for his advice.”
Prodi gives
blessing to Monti and a prophecy. "When Italian spreads reach
300 units, you will be asked to govern." Italian spreads
finally surpassed the 300 units that Prodi predicted, to reach 500.
Italy was in face to face with the ghost of bankruptcy. But who
triggered this rise?
Either by
populism, or by free choice, Berlusconi did not abide by the orders
of Germany. He became unpopular, as he challenged austerity policies.
According to
Friedman: “Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, had basically
decided that Berlusconi had to go. They wanted to change the
government of Italy. They wanted to change a democratically elected
government.”
For
Berlusconi's overthrow, an economic hitman is required. He will be
searched for initially in the United States and the IMF. The former
US Secretary of Treasury, Tim Geithner, revealed that EU officials
approached him and asked him to put pressure on Italy. The vehicle of
the blackmail would be a loan of 8 billion euro that would be granted
by the IMF. Geithner notifies Barack Obama and they decide not to
take part in the overthrow plan. Berlusconi's expulsion can only be
ensured on the EU officials' behalf by the European Central Bank.
Norbert
Häring, president and coordinator of the ECB “shadow council”, reveals: “I think it's
pretty clear that the Bank of Italy, with Draghi still president, was
helping to force out Berlusconi. Hardly, anybody knows that the
national central banks can buy large quantities of government bonds.
So, if they sell Italian government bonds and buy, for example,
German government bonds, during the year, Italian rates will spike
and there will be a problem for the government.”
The
intervention of Germany, France and the ECB, results finally in the
overthrow of 'Cavaliere', in November 2011. And president Napolitano,
brings to power the technocrat he had already chosen. Mario Monti, a
former consultant of Goldman Sachs, Coca-Cola and Moody's, is the
new, non-elected prime minister of Italy. For the international
media, he is the "Super Mario" of austerity.
By
overthrowing Berlusconi, the EU sent a clear message to the members
of the eurozone. But it was not the first nor the last time it
intervened in the political and economic life of a member. A year
earlier, in 2010, Ireland had also experienced Frankfurt's political blackmail.
Information
taken from the new documentary This
Is Not A Coup
by
Aris Chatzistefanou
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