"Geldof (waving a copy of the aid commitment Berlusconi had signed at the Gleneagles G8 summit in 2005, then patently ignored)
Here is the signature of a country and the honour of a man.
Berlusconi: I am sorry, we made a mistake.
Geldof: If Africans [had the money to] buy products, there would be more jobs created in Italy.
Berlusconi: You're right, when you make a promise you need to keep it. We are late and we must catch up. I am sorry not to have kept promises, we have had to deal with all the things that have happened. The crisis, the earthquake. We also have a battle with the opposition and judges who attack us.
Geldof: But this, prime minister, is not a discussion about the media or the judicial system. We are talking about poor people who cannot defend themselves.
Berlusconi: We will try not to let you down.
Geldof (pointing out that Italy has delivered on just 3% of its Gleneagles commitments): It is a question of credibility. Political credibility. You risk becoming "Mr Three Per Cent", the man who keeps just 3% of his promises. (Cue Berlusconi looking even more shamefaced than he has in recent weeks.)"
Read more (via The Guardian)
Related: Why Italy should be expelled from the G8
Excerpt: "Preparations for Wednesday's G8 summit in the Italian mountain town of L'Aquila have been so chaotic there is growing pressure from other member states to have Italy expelled from the group, according to senior western officials.
In the last few weeks before the summit, and in the absence of any substantive initiatives on the agenda, the US has taken control. Washington has organised "sherpa calls" (conference calls among senior officials) in a last-ditch bid to inject purpose into the meeting.
"For another country to organise the sherpa calls is just unprecedented. It's a nuclear option," said one senior G8 member state official. "The Italians have been just awful. There have been no processes and no planning."" (Julian Borger, The Guardian)
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