Who I am are the candidates for the European Parliament “friends” of hunters? If anyone thought of Sergio Berlatoa champion of doubles who when he was in regional council of Veneto he never missed an opportunity to bring any topic dear to hunters to the examination of the Third Commission, which he chaired, (and the dem Andrea Zanoni shouted every time to protest), he could say he was amazed: Berlato is not on the list prepared by the “Control room of hunting associations”..
For the North-East constituency which groups together Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto Adige and Emilia-Romagna, the “Control Room” recommends only three names: the Veronese Flavio Tosi of Forza Italia, the Bolognese Guglielmo Garagnani of Fratelli d’Italia (the same one also recommended to milk producers by the Grana Padano Protection Consortium based on indications from Lollobrigida’s secretariat – but the minister denied it) and the Venetian Rosanna Conte of the League. Tosi is in, if only because he was president of for a long time Federcaccia Veneto and now leads the Hunting Policies Department of Forza Italia. But why not Berlato?
The candidates and the choices
The control room includes Federcaccia, Libera Caccia, Enalcaccia, Italcaccia, Anuu, National Hunting and Nature Committee. “A few days before the elections – says a note released by this body – we take stock of the candidates who have expressed their willingness to commit to facing the next challenges that await the hunting world at a European level. We believe it is useful to point out how many of the candidates for a seat in Brussels have shared the manifesto in defense of hunting activity and rural culture drawn up by the recognized hunting associations gathered in the control room which represents the interests of the 7 million European hunters”. Following are 17 names: 8 for the North-West constituency, 3 for the North-East, 3 for the Centre, 2 for the South, 1 for the islands, representing FdI (5), Lega (7), FI (1), Azione (1), Pd (1), United States of Europe (2). And Berlato? Maybe he didn’t sign the manifesto?
I am still president of the Association for Rural Culture, 43 thousand registered throughout Italy of which 26,800 in Veneto
Berlato says so, in his fourth mandate as an MEP and now re-nominated for the fifth time (and convinced of coming first, the most voted in the entire North-East, obviously after Giorgia Meloni). But why didn’t he sign the “Control Room Manifesto”? “Never seen. Never been contacted.” Divided into six points, the manifesto recalls that “the economic-employment value of the sports-hunting sector and the sectors connected to it with its over 80,000 employees has an economic effect of approximately 7.5 billion euros, a value that represents 0.42% of the national GDP” and summarizes “the next challenges awaiting the hunting world at European level”, starting from the “large carnivores” dossier.
How did Berlato take it? Very good. First he counterattacked: «These are the leaders of those hunting associations who wanted the approval of the infamous state law 157/92, a law that they pretend to want to change because they are fine with it as it is, despite having caused the loss of more than one million hunters since it came into force more than 32 years ago.” Then he mockingly thanked: “Without the support of these hunting leaders, I will get many more votes from the hunters who go to the polls.” And on social media he dusted off the standard photo: in camouflage with rifle in hand. Indeed, rifles.
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