***********************************

Radio station "Ekho Moskvy": News

***********************************

00:09:57, May 03, 2001

The former high-ranking employee of the Eurocommission Emma Bonino has been hospitalized today in Milan.

5 days ago she declared a hunger-strike to protest against unfair elucidation of the future Italian elections by the media.

Despite deterioration of her state of health, Bonino still refuses food and medical aid. Presently Bonino heads the Radical party and considers that the TV, radio and newspapers don't give enough attention to such small party organizations before elections. Now the telechannels concentrate their attention on the pre-election campaign of the conservative media-tycoon Silvio Berlusconi and his main rival, the left-centrist ex-mayor of Rome Francesco Rutelli.