With an official letter sent over the weekend to the Ministry of Economic Development, the European Commission has given the halt to the Mediaset-saving standard that the Conte 2 Government had entered and approved in the Ristori decree to stop a possible takeover by the French of Vivendi al Biscione. The EU sees in that rule, desired above all by the grillino minister Patuanelli and also supported by the Pd, substantial and formal defects that would alter the circulation of goods and services in Europe and the free play of the market in the media. Therefore it is effectively inapplicable.
With the intervention of Brussels, all the cards of the Mediaset-Vivendi endless dispute are reshuffled with repercussions also on Tim. In fact, the timing is fundamental because the EU stop comes on the eve of a probable new intervention by the Tar on the freezing of Vivendi shares in Mediaset and after that the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office has placed the French in the dock for "manipulating the market" and "obstructing the supervisory authorities".
The first effects of Brussels' move could already manifest themselves today, considering that in these hours the Agcom – as anticipated by its president – should launch an investigation into the attempted takeover of Vivendi in Mediaset. But it is clear that such a politically sensitive issue will also arrive on the table of the verification promoted by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to try to save his government.
