31 May 2007 :

"I would like to reassure Mr Pannella and the public that we are working: we have prepared the text for the resolution and sent it to the German EU presidency. We are contacting all countries we think may become co-sponsors of this initiative." This is what the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Massimo D'Alema, interviewed by Radio Radicale, said about the initiative for the universal moratorium on capital executions and the announced start of a thirst strike by Marco Pannella and the other radical activists, who have all been on an indefinite hunger strike for a month and a half.
"We are working because once the text is ready, and it is, and once we've found co-sponsors we'll be ready to go to the Council of General Affairs in June and say "we are ready, let's start", D'Alema added. According to D'Alema the fundamental objective is "to succeed.
Whether we get there one week in advance or one week later is of little importance. The main problem is to obtain the large majoritarian consensus which would, for the first time (having failed in the first three attempts), represent a mile stone in the fight for human rights and against the death penalty. We are working on this goal. I would like to reassure Mr Pannella: with his action he's pushing us to act faster. We are working, we are not still", concluded D'Alema.