The Independent from London, Greater London, England • 16

EUROPEAN NEWS THE INDEPENDENT Saturday 20 September 2008 Northern League calls for devolution of Rome's power KOSOVO Warm welcome for Clinton in province recovering from war 16 ARRIVING Df 228 Coaches, 10 pedal traini and eight ships, thousands of members of the Northern League, northern Bara secessionist party are descending on Venice for their animal conference tomorrow; But although their founder and chief; Umberto Bossi, is Minister for Reforms In Silvio Berlusconi's government, and the Prime Minfeter's right hand man, it is expected to be a sombre event. The founding slogan of Mr Bossi's party whose long-term goal is independence for the richer half of the peninsula, Is Roma Ladrona, or Big Thief His desired halfway house to independence Is to downgrade Rome to the status of a fce-aaataT, alongside Milaii, Turn and Florence. But on Tuesday Mr Bossi and the other coalition party leaders held a news conference to annouiice a packages of constitutional reforms. They confirmed the status of Rome as creased (though unspecified) powers. "They're dragging us round and round," complained a caller to Radio Padania.

"We need to go for secession." To the outside world, Rome appears the inevitable capital of Italy given its splendour and history As far back as 1M1, Count Camillo Cavour, one of the founding heroes of unified told Ins comrades: The historical, intellectual and moral circumstances that must determine the wdfflHi come together in Rome Otis destined to be the capital of a great state." But for Mr Bossi and his followers that has always been a huge emir. "Some already has a king," says one Legists, Tart called the Pope." The government's reform package increases the power of Rome, the city that has, in the words of one Bossi supporter; "systematically robbed Pada-nlans of the money they earn with the sweat of their BY PETER POPHAM in Rome Itahs capital, and went further, designating it a "special Mr Bossi conjured his party out of nothing in the 1860s, on the platform that Rome was a monstrous parasite, sucking the blood of the hard-working industrialised north to the benefit of the corrupt, lawless, indolent south. How Mr Bossi win reconcile Ids party's historical position with his endorsement of the status and power of Roma Ladrona remains to be seen. He has made no comment since Tuesday He has been doseted at his home in the village of Gemonio, working on bis Mr Bossi quit Mr Berlusconi 'i first government in 1994, bringing it down, after the Prime Minister failed to make goad on his promises of federal reform. He has frequently threatened to do the same agam if devolution of power, in-ctuding fiscal devolution, does not begin for real Mr Bossi runs a tight ship is Bossi," his supporters sax "the padre padrone.

Without him the League would not even exist" But after lues-day's announcement the complaints came flooding In to the phone-in programmes of the party's radio station, Radio Padania. "Making Rome the fylfpl fMT1intS the League," said one caUec Last year, at Mr BossPs urging, parliament passed a first package of devolution reforms, which included the devolution of powers over health, local ponce and schooling to the regions. The implementation of these measures was Included in the package announced on Tuesday But in the view of many grassroots Northern League members, they are trumped by the new declaration of Rome's status as "capital of the federal with In Ibrahim Rufiova, Kosovo's President, in Pristine during a one-day visit 3 visit Bill Clinton is greeted by Mr Clinton approved US yesterday. isarKryeztuAP military action to stop a Serbian crackdown in the province in MM 1 Lennonism takes off back in the old USSR THEY COULD soon be replacing Lenin with Lennon in TblisL the capital of the former soviet republic of Georgia. The man behind Thud's plan to Join Havana and Liverpool airport in honouring the former Beetle is Valerie KochaioR foiinder of the local Beatles club.

The musician and sculptor wants to set-up a Ufe-sbe statue of John Iennon opposite the Georgian capital's huge glass Philharmonic Hall. It will be made of bronze. The plinth will bear the inscription: And the World will be as One. Tighm John Lennofl1." The flamboyant Valerie seed to be John Lennon in a soviet Beatles tribute band. He brings Ids right arm crashing down on his imaginary guitar.

"He will stand in the most powerful pose, when he's singing and playing like that" Bitting on a "Bute Meanie" chair, surrounded by decor Inspired by the characters in YeUow Submarine, Valerie explains in wonderful Georgs4Jveipadlian English: "John Lennon's everything to me, he's my teacher, he's my father, king of rock and roll, he's everything for me." In the Soviet era Valerie got his Beatles records on the Mack market With the fall of the Iron Curtain he was able to visit Liverpool and see the traces of the Cavern Club returning to build a Cavern copy In the centre of TbUsL While no one here wants to be "Back In the the faU of Leninism has left a void for those sceptical of Ok capitalist revolution. That void being filled by THIS EUROPE Byj Frederick Baker in Tblisi, Georgia the sorter utopia of Yuri Mechitov is also part of the statue project. Rattling around the pothoM streets in his red Moskvicfa car, he explains how Lennon's 1171 post-Beatlea classic played a crucial role in Ids life. "The Georgian dvfl war started on the same day the Soviet Union was crushed, the 22nd of December 1990. It was an "I found it very hard to stand the sttaatton.

There was otuy one remedy the music of John Lennon's Imagine'." Georgia paid heavUy for Its independence from Moscow. Electricity is rationed and the huge hotel near the Beatles club is full of refugees from the Russian-backed war fat the Georgian province ofAbhasia. Valerie and Yuri have a long and winding road ahead but, aa Yuri told me as we htt another pothole! "It's hard to be a dreamer here, but we The turbo. EUROPE IN BRIEF 299 a month: The charge. Minister defends smoking ban after US trip IRELAND: Mlchewl Vartin, the Health Minister, said plans to ban smoking In pubs, bars and restaurants were viable after seeing how a similar ban worked in New York.

He said: "The health officials said to us that mey worried too much in advance of the ban and that the world didnt collapse Mr Martin is under Intense political pressure to modify the ban, which is due to begin in January. ForrnerSS man collapses at murder trial GERMANY: A former Nazi SS fighter collapsed in court yesterday and was taken to hospital, minutes after the opening of Ids trial in the northern city of Hagen on charges that he murdered a Dutch resistance fighter in 1944. Dutch-born Hebertus Bikker, SB, allegedly shot Jan Houtmann, 27, who was tying injured in a barn after fleeing a labour camp. Mr Bikker denies the charges. PEOPLE You'll also find 15" spoke alio wheels, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, as well as Saab Active Head Restraints to keep you In control.

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