Mastrogiovanni affair

Ulysses contract or Penelope's?
by Angelo Pagliaro

Since the last rise of the Berlusconi government, in less than a year has presented five DDL (bill) for the amendment of Law No. 180 May 13, 1978 better known as Basaglia Law. The most worrying is that which bears the signature of the psychiatrist and parliamentary Charles Greaves (PDL) former leader of the MSI-DN, (which has become the headlines in December 1974 for the shooting, in Piazza Cavour in Ancona, of five shots Flobert against the extra-parliamentary left Paul Tomassoni who was wounded in the thigh), who speaks of the therapeutic contract binding on continuing care which is well configured with the name "Ulysses contract." The contract, which refers to the fascinating myth of Ulysses, in fact, as stated in the bill, "bind the patient, which was originally agreed, to be followed even in the absence of a contrary intention, manifested in a later phase of illness." Many organizations and individual supporters of the Basaglia thought have literally alarmed and declared battle against another of the many attempts that the center right wants to take revenge by changing and canceling the liberating effects of laws that have marked our country's tortuous path toward civilization.

Translation by Enrico Massetti (Web site on "The other Fabrizio de Andre")