The journalist’s lawyer: «Too many falsehoods, Rai cannot decide on “Report”» Meanwhile he is suing Forleo, who says: «I commented on undenied news»
Like any bust Rai without alternatives, Siegfried Ranucci it glues itself to the armchair. And it does so by playing on the attack, thanks to its image on the left, the structural alliance with the leaders of theUsigrai (in silent agreement) and of the indulgence of the entire progressive corps (historically 80% of the structure) within state TV, which has always waved the ethical risks of Reports as a supreme example of stellar journalism. The host on tour to present his new book The Return of the Caste dismisses the requests for a step aside with a bizarre simile: “If Rai complains about Report it’s as if the Pope were complaining about the Jubilee.”
After Giovanni Falcone, Paolo Borsellino, Aldo Moro and Piersanti Mattarella, only the pontiff was missing in the nativity scene in which Ranucci perceives himself as Baby Jesus.
The defense line of the lawyer Roberto De Vita
But beyond the self-referential folklore, the matter is serious and the journalist’s lawyer, Roberto De Vitaputs the exclamation point on the situation. «Any initiative that Rai were to take at this time towards Sigfrido Ranucci, and therefore the Report broadcast, would inevitably be contaminated by the falsehoods which, despite the clear and clear position of the judicial authority on the victim and his unawareness, have been incessantly fueled by specious controversies even within the company».
A precise position, a courtly one goes back to anyone who dares to raise the problem of replacement. According to the lawyer, who legitimately keeps an eye on the judicial consequences of the investigation, «motivations lateral to the matter, such as acquaintances, sources and controversial investigations, would be formal and substantial expedients and artifices. Reasons relating to an environmental incompatibility given the redundancy of the matter and its negative consequences for the company would be a polite pretext and would in fact result in the punishment of the victim, who has very little hospice in our system”.
The shadow of the Valter Lavitola case and the political issues in Saxa Rubra
Lawyer De Vita speaks of “punishment of the victim”, as if Ranucci’s case were a banally jurisprudential case. And not a murky affair in which the image and public credibility of his client are shaken practically every day, starting from the connection with the convicted fixer Valter Lavitolato the polls prepared by the latter to launch Siegfried as political leader of the centre-left, up to the attack organized by his associate to “increase his supply”, his popularity and practically make him a martyr.
An ideal context for an electoral adventure. Under these conditions, can Ranucci continue to be the frontman of an investigative program on public television? If he had been an independent conservative he would have already been blown out of the windows of Saxa Rubra.
The counterattack against the government and Giampaolo Rossi’s caution
Something destined not to happen, even if Ranucci keeps repeating: «The company can do what it wants». Obviously that’s not true and he knows it very well. Both for political affiliation, and for trade union ties, and for the historic strategy of corridor agreements (live and let live, basically the right hand washes the left) that a long-time manager like Giampaolo Rossi he always applies when it’s his turn to manage the power by floating. This is also why the lawyer De Vita has a good hand in underlining with sweet stil novo circumlocutions: «Any further justification would also discount the already manifested conditioning indications of top government and institutional representatives, placing Rai’s initiatives towards the host and the broadcast in the orbit of the political decision». Translation: dear Giorgia MeloniDear Matteo Salviniif you suspend Ranucci you will have a deadly political case of censorship. And this is not defense but a full-blown counterattack.
The silences in the Democratic Party, the axis with Conte and Milena Gabanelli’s step backwards
The pro Ranucci front loses momentum in Democratic Partywhere half the party (including Elly Schlein) prefers silence to solidarity and seems to have had enough of the journalist’s cheap Guevarism. But no one «habla» for fear of ending up in Report’s «cut and sew» meat grinder when autumn arrives. On the contrary Giuseppe Conte broke the deadlock – Ranucci’s style is pure Grillismo – and dismisses the whole matter as Augustan arthouse balloonism: “The case and the fate of the program seem to me to be a problem only felt in the political debate to divert attention from the real issues.”
While the host glues himself to the chair, he comes back to the surface Milena Gabanellithe first curator of the format and candidate in 2013 as President of the Republic by the 5 Star Movement. There were rumors in many quarters of her return but she denies it: «I’m not suited to exhumation rites, I don’t intend to return. And then the programs are made by the team, one person does nothing alone.”
Moral: hitting the team would be wrong, hitting Ranucci would be censorship. It is the law of infallibility at all costs. Ultimately, Report is an act of faith, like the Jubilee.
