Italian newspapers have reported a series of reactions to the SMS received from the President of the Italian Council.
– thousands of Italians have immediately sent parodies of the SMS, such as “Pres.Del.Cons. Il 12 ed il 13 dalle 7 alle 22 non votatemi. Se vado a casa avrò almeno creato un nuovo posto di lavoro” (Pres. of the Council. On the 12 and 13 from 7 to 22 don’t vote for me. If I don’t win, I’ll have at least created one job),
– many Italians were outraged to have received the message (they also suspect that they are the ones to pay for it at the end), but other were irritated because they had not received it. Other who are neither Italian nor entitled to vote here received the SMS,
– many were frustrated because it was technically impossible to send an answer to the message,
– some draw a parallel with what happened in Spain during the Spanish elections in March where voters used their mobile to organize instant protests against the Aznar government. But this time, it’s Berlusconi who started the movement,
– the Garante della privacy, the national body ensuring the respect of privacy, was floded with phone calls and e-mail from citizens asking explanations,
– etc.

Many many many reactions then. So far the outcome of the European elections is not clear, but it seems that less people have supported Berlusconi than what he expected.

Read also Smart Mobs and Textually.
Link in Italian: http://www.lastampa.it/_WEB/_P_VISTA/gramellini/,