RUTELLI: All these questions have been raised in Italy for the last seven years. Perhaps people are accustomed to [them]. And Berlusconi is an extraordinary salesman. That’s his real job. And he used his TV stations to [show]… that the country is going in the wrong direction… His TV news begins 60 to 70 percent of the time with a murder, a rape… And despite all the improvement in the economy, there is the opinion that things have gotten worse; there is a [feeling] that Italy is behind other European countries. This is not true… But Berlusconi was very clever in building a sense of insecurity–and, of course, now that sense of insecurity seems real.

Of course. But that wouldn’t have been sufficient if we, the center-left, hadn’t been so divided. We had too many internal discussions, quarreling and so on. In ‘96, we won [against Berlusconi] with a coalition that brought together the great reformers of my country. But afterwards, the failure to really merge created turmoil.

Now we are united–really united. And Mr. Berlusconi is losing his grip. Seven months ago people would have said Rutelli is brave to take this job, but he’s going to lose. Now this is changing. The polls have shown us closing the gap. I hope to do what [Ferra-ri driver Michael] Schumacher did in the Barce-lona Grand Prix, to pass at the last moment.

It’s hurting him among the upper classes, and among small investors, because it creates a climate of uncertainty… But [the outside attacks] can help Berlusconi if the “supersalesman” can create [an] image of victimization. He’s been trying to do that for the last week, even claiming there are threats on his life.

I think our credibility in Europe would be weakened. But I think it’s an internal affair. We won’t win these elections if we’re waiting for help from outsiders.

I think we have shown that we want to reduce bureaucracy and state intervention. Our legislature was the first in modern history where we had less laws when we ended than when we began. We canceled laws. We cut [red tape] by 61 percent. We still have too much… But [Berlusconi’s real message] is, “Do what you want to do. Now it’s playtime.” I don’t think it’s playtime. We are in Europe. There’s a stability pact to honor. There’s work to do. We have to act responsibly.