Ezio Mauro, La Repubblica's editor, was on TV last Sunday night. This is a fairly rare occasion, and it is worth listening to his interview in order to have a good idea of where he stands on the relation between Media and Democracy in Italy.

One passage which was particularly interesting was the one on the recent interview given by the Prime Minister to La Repubblica. The interview to Berlusconi was centered around the theme of the reform of the tax system, a topic which has been at the centre of the Italian political debate for many years. However, the other big news was the mere fact that Berlusconi gave La Repubblica an interview. This is a rather unusual event, given the recent fights between the newspaper and the Prime Minister. 

Despite having the opportunity to talk to him, La Repubblica did not ask him any of the now famous Ten Questions. These were at the centre of an important journalistic campaign aimed at underlining the lies and contradictions La Repubblica saw in the Prime Minister's statements over his friendship with the 18-year old Noemi Letizia.

Ezio Mauro made it clear that this interview was no sign of reconciliation between the two parts, as there has never been a war, "just journalism". However, the choice not to re-propose the Ten Question still made some raise their eyebrows. Are we moving back from the time of unanswered questions to that of unasked ones? Surely not, and La Repubblica has the merit of having put questions back at the centre of the Italian journalistic world. Repubblica showed that when a politician does not answer questions, it is the case to ask them again. Perhaps, they could have asked them once more.