In a letter to Parliament President Jerzy Buzek circulated among MEPs, Crocetta underlined that the mafia is no longer a local issue but a European problem, due to the widespread penetration of old mafias across the continent and the recent growth of new ones (EurActiv 15/04/08 and EurActiv 28/10/08).
"Such a situation has consequences on citizens’ personal rights and freedom" since "mafias kill, influence and even control election votes," Crocetta said.
He directly experienced the mafia's influence oover electoral processes during his first campaign as major of the Sicilian city of Gela.
Crocetta lost local elections in 2002 by a few dozen votes, but in 2003 he eventually became mayor of Gela thanks to the intervention of Italian justice, which exposed pressure on election officers from a local mafia boss who was attempting to modify the outcome of the popular vote. He was overwhelmingly re-elected in the following elections in 2007.
In his letter, Crocetta stressed the negative impact of mafias on the European economy. "Through their access to almost unlimited financial resources, [mafia-backed enterprises] become real competitors of legal companies," he wrote.
Need for European approach
Stressing the need for a European approach, he pointed out that "often the money earned by illegal trafficking is laundered and cleaned through entrepreneurial and financial activities carried out in areas where normally there is no presence of mafias".
As a result of his outspoken criticism of the mafia, Crocetta has been living under tight security surveillance for years. In 2008, a plot to kill him was uncovered by the Italian police. Since then, he has enjoyed protection similar to that accorded to the state's highest representatives.
His plan to set up a dedicated committee on mafias is likely to find support from his party, the Socialists and Democrats. He has already informally discussed the issue with the president of the group, Martin Schulz.
However, support from the Conservatives, the main party in the assembly, is crucial. A spokesperson for Joseph Daul, the head of the group, told EurActiv that no contacts had yet been established on the issue.
"We are open to discuss it," he said.
