Bob Geldof grills Berlusconi on aid ahead of G8
ROME (Reuters) - Irish singer and anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof grilled Silvio Berlusconi in an interview published on Sunday, telling him Rome's failed pledges on aid put his credibility in doubt as he chairs a G8 summit this week.
"How can you lead the G8? Where is your credibility?" Geldof asked the conservative Italian Prime Minister in the interview, printed in La Stampa newspaper ahead of the July 8-10 Group of Eight summit in the central city of L'Aquila.
"Here we have the signature of a country and the honor of a man," Geldof told Berlusconi, showing him the written commitment to increase aid to Africa signed by him and his G8 colleagues at a 2005 summit in Scotland, La Stampa said.
He said Italy had cut aid instead by 400 million euros ($560 million).
"I am sorry, we made a mistake," Berlusconi responded, saying Italy's public debt mountain and the global economic crisis had forced it to cut spending.
"We are sorry we also reduced aid to Africa ... Our Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti has made a commitment to readjust in line with our undertakings within three years."
Development is one a major theme at the summit which on the final day will be broadened to include some African nations.
EMPTY PROMISES
Geldof's ONE campaign group said in a damning report last month Italy was trailing far behind other G8 nations in making good on their collective promise to more than double aid to Africa by 2010.
It said Rome had delivered only three percent of the aid increase promised by Berlusconi four years ago and that Italy's shortfall risked undermining the performance of the whole G8.
A government adviser told Geldof at the interview Italy would raise aid spending to 0.33 of its gross domestic product by 2010 and to 0.51 percent in 2015 -- still short of the 0.7 percent target pledged at the 2005 G8 summit.
"I don't believe this. To achieve this plan you would have to do an unbelievable job. And we don't need plans, we need actions," Geldof retorted.
Berlusconi said Italy was ready to back U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to double U.S. funding for agricultural development aid to $1 billion by 2010, with an additional $1 billion expected to come from his G8 partners.
La Stampa said the interview at times resembled a boxing match, with Berlusconi clenching his fist, Geldof shaking his head and interrupting him, and the prime minister's aides intervening to soothe tempers.
"We were knocked back by all the things that happened to us. The crisis, the earthquake. We also have a situation of strong confrontation with the opposition, and magistrates attacking us," Berlusconi said at one stage.
Geldof snapped, "This is not a debate about the media or the judiciary system. We are talking about poor, defenseless people."
(Editing by Louise Ireland)
