It appears that the European Social Forum in Florence (Firenze) will be a semi-official meeting under the patronage of the Region of Toscane (Tuscany). It is the President of the Regional Council, Claudio Martini of the Democratic Left, who has taken the iniative. He was present at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, leading an official delegation. A clever man, several steps ahead of politicians in other countries, he saw the potential of the anti-globalisation movement, early on.

Accoridng to Italian media reports, the choice of Florence was determined...

1. because the French organisers (ATTAC) had compromised themselves, by too close an alliance with the Jospin government. France and Italy were the two possible locations.

2. because the Regional and City governments in Florence had more to offer than the other 2 venues, Venice and Naples.

Exactly who takes all these decisions is clouded in secrecy. But the decision to go to Florence, has aligned the European Social Forum with the 'Democratic Left' party, and made it part of Italian domestic politics.

Here is Martini's decision to welcome the ESF, on 24 april

 http://www.regione.toscana.it/ius/ns-presidente/?MIval=seconda&CODICE=135

For updates see his own website

 http://presidente.regione.toscana.it

In a meeting with Martini, the representative of the Italian Social Forums has already given assurances about the structure of the ESF - in defiance of all the propaganda about it being an 'open' structure.

 http://presidente.regione.toscana.it/temi/g8/incontro-agnoletto.htm

Martini demanded that the meeting should include a dialogue with 'the institutions' and insisted on a special role for the organisational life of the Region (meaning: his own party and its allied NGO's).

This emphasise the unreality of the organising meetings in the other EU countries. They no longer have anything to say about the content of the ESF, it is all being decided in Italy, by professional politicians.

Premier Berlusconi seems undecided about the meeting, his local councillors in Florence expressed half-hearted concern about violence. But if they really wanted to block it, they would have been much more hostile. It is not impossible that Berlusconi himself will address the ESF, that would be clever politically.