The ruling anti-establishment
5-Star Movement (M5S) said Tuesday it would abolish the Italian
journalists' guild after it opened a probe into Premier Giuseppe
Conte's spokesman Rocco Casalino after he threatened to purge
uncooperative budget officials.
"What use is the journalists' guild if is doesn't sanction
the diffusion of fake news and unethical behaviour by
journalists motivated only by party interests and not by the
desire to inform citizens?", the M5S said on their blog.
"It's no use. So we'll abolish it. The measure is already on
the government's table".
Casalino was caught on an audio recording saying economy
ministry officials who obstructed the government's plan to use
deficit spending to fund a universal basic income would be
purged.
In the recording with two journalists, he talked about
the possibility of purging the economy ministry of officials who
have allegedly been hampering the government's plan to introduce
a 'citizenship wage' basic income.
Opposition parties have called on Casalino to be sacked but
Conte and his M5S both defended him and criticised the release
of the audio.
Casalino is a former participant in the Italian version of
reality show Big Brother.
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