New Italian law would ban candidates with serious crimes

The Italian government is aiming to implement a law "as soon as possible" that would make it illegal for candidates with serious criminal records to run for office, Justice Minister Paola Severino said Wednesday. The law under review would ban candidates with definitive sentences of two years or more. The move is one of a number of anti-corruption measures on the table in the wake of a string of scandals that culminated in the Tuesday arrest of Franco Fiorito, the former Lazio region caucus leader of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PdL) party. In the same vein, anti-corruption legislation was introduced in the Senate Thursday, promising up to six years in prison for public officials convicted of using political contributions inappropriately. Severino said that as soon as that law is passed, the measure banning candidates with serious criminal backgrounds could be added "as soon as possible".