Italian environment minister Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, who arrived yesterday on a visit to Malta, missed attending the big anti-Bush demo he spoke in favour of.

The Italian media, especially the right, were heavy in the way they presented the minister, who represents the Greens in the Italian parliament, spoke in favour of demonstrating against US President George W Bush despite being in government.

The reasons for the anti-Bush demo varied from harsh criticism of the War in Iraq to, in Pecoraro Scanio’s case, concern about the Kyoto agreement.

The Italian minister told the media he was coming to Malta for a meeting about sharks while another Italian minister, Social Solidarity Minister Paolo Ferrero, who also spoke out in favour of people demonstrating against President Bush, said he had an appointment in Brescia he would not miss.