“It’s not a question between me and Berlusconi, because the European Union is a very difficult field, there are many influential candidates. If you read Italian newspapers, it’s like as if everything will be decided here in Italy, but there are 27 state members. We’ll see, we’ll have very complicated days”. Massimo D’Alema talks with the journalists about the possibility of being chosen for the foreign Office of the European union. The president of the organization ItalianiEuropei underlines the “difficulties” because “there are many influential candidates” from other European countries. D’Alema also highlights that it is “normal” that a candidate form the centre-left party can be designated by a centre-right government, and compares his situation to the one of the president of the European Commission who is a “conservative” nominated by a socialist government”. D’Alema explained: “As soon as we knew that the Foreign Secretary had to be a socialist, the French President, who is a conservative, said he was available to nominate a socialist candidate”. “In no other country would there be this sort of problem, just here in Italy. But I must recognized that the Italian government acted just like all other countries of the European Union”. Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute