The TV confrontation on Rai between the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the secretary of the Democratic Party Elly Schlein is skipped in view of the 2024 European elections. “Only four of the eight lists represented in Parliament accepted Rai’s invitation to a two-way comparison between leaders on the basis of representative strength. For this reason, in the absence of the majority required by the Authority for guarantees in Communications, Rai believes it cannot plan any discussion in the terms previously proposed”, reads a note from Viale Mazzini.
“The Public Service – Rai assures – will continue to guarantee, as it has always done, respect for the Par Condicio in news and in-depth programs with the balance and correctness recognized by the Authority itself”.
According to what Adnkronos has learned, the four lists in favor of the two-way TV confrontation between the leaders are Fratelli d’Italia, Pd, Italia viva and Lega. However, Avs, Forza Italia, M5S and Action are against. Since the majority of the groups present in Parliament had not been reached as requested by Agcom, Rai has communicated that there are no conditions to carry out the meeting, already scheduled, between Meloni and Schlein moderated by Bruno Vespa.
The regulation on equal conditions
The regulation on equal conditions, as resulting from the combined provisions of resolution no. 90/24/CONS and those of the provision of 9 April 2024 of the Parliamentary Commission for the general direction and supervision of radio and television services, provides that if Rai or private national broadcasters intend to broadcast programs dedicated to the comparison “they must ensure effective equal treatment between all the aforementioned representatives […] as well as within the same broadcast, also within a cycle of multiple broadcasts of the same programme, organized according to the same methods and with the same listening opportunities”. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the existence of compliance with the principle of equal treatment, as outlined in the cited article, based on the methods of execution and placement of the broadcasts.
In the specific case, equal treatment can be guaranteed by offering all political subjects the same opportunity for discussion. The Authority’s Council also believes that the broadcasts dedicated to the comparison, as defined by Article 7, paragraph 11, of the Authority’s regulation and by Article 4, paragraph 7-ter, of the provision of the Parliamentary Commission for the general and the supervision of radio and television services, can be considered legitimate where the relevant format is accepted by a large majority of the lists in electoral competition and in any case by the majority of the lists with representation in Parliament. Any compensatory spaces for those who have to renounce the format of the discussions must be organized in compliance with the principles established by the aforementioned legislation and in particular the principle of the same listening opportunities.
