Sat, 23 March, 2013 (Saint Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo). Apparently Silvio Berlusconi organised a package tour to Rome including show-off of unpresentable candidates, attacks to old enemies and a (unscheduled) strip tease.
“Tutti con Silvio per una nuova Italia” (“Everybody with Silvio, for a new Italy”) was the title of the gathering of the People of Liberty in the Square of the People in Rome, drawn on Twitter as #ConSilvio. Difficult to find a better setting. Though it's unclear how a new Italy could result from somebody who ruled the country for 10 out of the last 20 years, having been its prime minister four times. Anyhow.
Everybody loves Silvio
About 50,000 people showed up in the demonstration, according to Mr Berlusconi's opponents many of them where young pensioners (about 60-year-old, the typical target of
Wednesday,
February 20, 2013. A massive mailshot of letters with the words
"Important notice: reimbursement of [propriety tax] IMU 2012"
printed on the envelope was sent to Italian voters by Silvio
Berlusconi People of Freedom party, triggering queues of inquiring at
Post Offices and revenue services' agency.
Silvio Berlusconi promising to abolish IMU (and refund the tax paid in 2012)
“How
and when to obtain in 2013 the refund the [property tax] IMU paid in
2012 on the first house and land and farm buildings” recites the
object of the letter – sent to millions of households and duly
signed by Silvio Berlusconi – who addresses the recipients with a
warm “Dear Maria” or “Dear Giovanni”, depending if the addressed person is a man or a woman.
The
letter goes on detailing that the payment can be carried out "to
your current bank account or, for pensioners and others who
prefer this method, in cash at the Post Office counter". In a
country like Italy were almost 40 per cent of inhabitants never used Internet
and the main source of information is the television, it might be
easy to take it for granted that the tax will be paid back. Especially if you are a pensioner, and somebody is showing you the colour of money...
January 2013. Silvio Berlusconi keeps on discovering conspiracies planned by his enemies, in order to prevent him to deservedly get back to Italy's helm. And he keeps instigating his supporters to fight against this Communist plot.
Silvio revealed the umpteenth plot against him
Silvio Berlusconi, in the attempt to gain sympathy from the public before the general election set for 24-25 February 2013, is trying to portray himself in different ways, but mainly as a victim.
In his own view, Silvio is a victim of a series of conspiracies and plots, he has being disclosing day after day. In the past he informed Barack Obama and Angela Merket about this terrible conspiracy (did they care?). Behind those plots obviously hid some of his countless enemies.
Tuesday, 1 January 2013 (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God). Waking up in the morning of the first day of the new year, Silvio Berlusconi finds out his Twitter account has gained 60,000 followers in one night.
@Berlusconi2013 Twitter account, before the miracle
It took some time for Silvio Berlusconi to get involved in the fast growing social media Twitter, being overtook by a generally traditionalist fellow politician, Pope Benedict XVI, with his @Pontifex, and competitor #1, member of the Senate of Italy and prime minister candidate Mario Monti, with his @SenatoreMonti.
But when he went into it, he did it with his usual vigour.
Starting in the beginning of December 2012, the account @berlusconi2013 had been attracting around seven thousand followers, until the new year's eve miracle: in one magic night Silvio's fan on Twitter grew to over 70,000. It's not a scandal, just a remarkable event.
According to some sources, 70 per cent of the... 73,504 fans (update: 4 January, 10:54 GMT) is a fake, and 80 per cent are South American and Arab accounts – perhaps not very interest in the political events of Italy. How many of them are women? Couldn't find any data about it, but we bet it's more than a few...
Pato and Barbara Berlusconi smile on Twitter
The former prime minister of Italy's Twitter account launched also a kind of “I don't vote for the Left” campaign, by introducing a @iononvotolasx user and ionovotolasx.com internet site (currently not available). These links seemed to have disappeared in the most recent hours, replaced by the ForzaSilvio.it link (“Go Silvio!”).
But The Kight is not the only member of the Berlusconi family to have discovered the tweets: in the meanwhile, also Silvio's daughter – Barbara Berlusconi – appeared on Twitter, publishing a photo just to prove that her relationship with former AC Milan's footballer Alexandre Pato is still on (even though her father sold the player to Brazil's Corinthians).
Some think that Silvio might be totally unaware of what's going on, and the initiation to the twitterati could really be a gift from the founder of the “Silvio ci manchi” (“Silvio we miss you”) club, the tycoon official fiancée Francesca Pascale.
What would be of the President (he has always been president of something) without his women?
(Update: On 4 June 2013, at 13:52 GMT, the Twitter account @berlusconi2013 has 59,290 followers. At the same time @Pontifex has been occupied by a Francis, apparently a migrant from South America. Where has Joseph Aloisius - aka Benedict XVI - gone? Anyhow, the account has now 2.5m followers... Finally, Barbara Berlusconi's last tweet dates back to 11 August 2012.).
Tuesday,
December 18, 2012. Invited to Italian state TV talk show “Porta a
Porta” (“Door to Door”) by anchorman and friend Bruno Vespa,
Silvio Berlusconi holds electoral an electoral speech and admits that
if the election will be held in February, his chances to win are
pretty dim.
"After Monti it's my turn"
“You
need... me” begins Silvio Berlusconi on the television screen, participating to Porta a Porta (Door to Door) one of the most viewed TV shows on state owned Rai1, after host Bruno
Vespa showed a footage of the previous night television programme (still on Rai1), where
Oscar-winner Italian actor Roberto Benigni joked about the fact that
it's the sixth time that the tycoon runs for office (“the seventh
time he shall rest” mocked Benigni).
"After Monti, it's my turn again" says Berlusconi's manifesto, projected by Bruno Vespa's staff. This is how things go in Italy, nowadays.
“You
need me and [...] I don't refrain [...] to render the assistance to
those in need” the former Italian prime minister continued, as the
conversation between the politician and business man and the
journalist went on following the usual politician-stooge pattern.
"Don't vote for small parties" warns the People of Liberty's president, founder and main financial backer, look for someone who "has got plenty of common sense", and than enunciates "I have been a winning entrepreneur, in every sector, I have built model cities, worked in the building, publishing and broadcasting industry".
In
reality the only electoral promise coming from Berlusconi is the
abolition of a municipal tax that his government introduced back in
2011 (Decree nr. 23, 14 March 2011), the infamous IMU (“Imposta
municipale propria”, a kind of Council Tax) in order to cover the
expenses left without funds by the repeal of the previous tax on real
proprieties “Imposta comunale sugli immobili” (ICI, “Municipal
Propriety Tax”).
Berlusconi
said that he can aim to get the 40 per cent of the votes, if he gets
enough time on TV to explain his reasons (pardon: his reason) his to
the Italians.
Gotcha!
What
is the alternative to Berlusconi? According to Berlusconi it's a social civil war, just like it (almost) happened in
Greece.
But in
the meantime another clock is ticking: a court set February 4, 2013
as the day for final hearing and judgement of the Rubygate
proceedings. In the trial Silvio Berlusconi is indicted of having
paid for sex an under-age prostitute known as “Ruby the
Heart-Stealer” (the real name is Karima El Mahroug) at his “bunga
bunga” parties, to which Moroccan belly-dancer Karima and droves of
other women were invited. If he gets a conviction, it might influence
his run for office.
Run
Silvio, run! I mean: slow down, Silvio, slow down...
Wednesday,
December 12, 2012. Silvio Berlusconi makes a U-turn and declares willingness to back Mario Monti in case of the creation of a broader moderate
alliance to beat Italian left-wingers.
Mario
Monti, the guy Berlusconi a few days ago dubbed as “beholden to
Germany”, acting as a quasi-accomplice of Angela Merkel to try to "topple a majority government elected by the Italians” by using a scam (the spread-scam),
leading a government that brought Italy to “the brink of the abyss”
is now the favourite candidate of the Italian media tycoon?
Can you believe that? Berlusconi is forcing Mario Monti to resign in
order to vote for Monti as a Prime Minister?
Yet another brainwave? Or just going nuts?
Italian
former Prime Minister took the occasion of a public event – the
televised presentation of start TV anchorman Bruno Vespa's latest
book – to inform the public of the last of his U-turn. Mr
Berlusconi said the he "proposed to Monti to be the candidate as
leader for the moderate centre coalition and he said he didn't want
to. If his position changes, I would have no problem with stepping
back ... I have no personal ambitions".
Monday,
December 10, 2012. Taking part in Canale 5's “La Telefonata”
(“The Phone Call”) TV programme, Silvio Berlusconi explains to
the Italians that Italy's bond yield difference with Germany's Bunds
is a scam they should not worry about.
Berlusconi with alleged girlfriend Francesca Pascale
Canale
5 ("Channel 5") is a television network controlled by Berlusconi's
Mediaset broadcasting company, Maurizio Belpietro is a staunch
defender of the Italian Prime Minister candidate arguably the best
place to address to the Italians (at least to those who aren't at work, in that time in the morning) in order to lure them to vote, once
again, for the billionaire.
Belpietro - former editor of Berlusconi's Il Giornale newspaper - is the host of the La Telefonata ("The Phone Call"), a 10-minute-long TV programme where he gets a phone call, as the show title hints. Today the Italian Silvio telephoned. La Telefonata is on air at 8:40 (GTM 7:40)
“Let's
stop talking about this scam!” stated this morning Il Cavaliere's
voice, “one
year ago nobody heard about the word “spread” he continued “that
was used to try to bring down a majority government elected by the
Italians”.
“Behind
the crisis there has been a German strategy” Berlusconi added, and
Prime Minister Mario Monti is beholden to Germany. Monti replaced
Berlusconi as Italy's Prime minister in November 2011, when the
spread between Italy's bond yield and Germany's Bunds reached a
euro-era record of 575.6 basis points.
He knows what is needed
The
way for Italy's salvation is through the restoration Forza
Italia (Go Italy!), the party that Silvio Berlusconi created in 1994 when he "entered the field" the first time, its alliance with the Lega Nord
(Northern League) led by Robert Maroni (in the meanwhile Berlusconi
friend Umberto Bossi was swept away by a corruption scandal) and –
most probably – the
separation from the National Alliance party.
After
the PdL withdraw it's support for Monti's government
and the former European Commissioner declared his willingness to
resign as soon as, general elections are expected to be held either
Feb. 17 or Feb. 24 (about a month before originally planned).
Is
Italy back to square one, or it just sounds like that?
Thursday,
December 6, 2012. One day after suggesting that he is ready to "re-enter the field" (meaning that he will run for Italy's prime minister),
Silvio Berlusconi decides to withdraw People of Liberty party's support for Mario Monti.
Silvio Berlusconi and Angelino Alfano at the press conference
Silvio
Berlusconi has a new strategy, to kill at least two birds with
just one stone: tackling the power struggle within his party (PdL,
People of Liberty) and getting back to politics, since he's sure that
without him (and the spirit of '94)
the PdL is doomed to fail.
The
campaign started with a fierce attack against Mario Monti's
cabinet (yesterday) stating that the situation got much worse in
the last year, the Italian “economy is in dire straits: the
unemployed grew by one million, debt is rising, purchasing power is
plummeting, the tax burden has reached unbearable levels”.
To
make a long story short, Italy is “on the brink of the abyss”, to
better say is already in the abyss.
Solution?
Well, the solution is simple: get Berlusconi back in the saddle, and
everything is going to be just fine. At least this is the message the
media tycoon is getting across, explaining that loads of people ask
him to “re-enter the field”.
Silvio, Italy trust in you
Is
it already decided? “We will take the decision
altogether, in the next days” said yesterday Silvio Berlusconi,
hinting that the decision of “re-entering the field” was already
taken, “they” just needed to make it public in a way that it
sounds collective.
In
the meanwhile today the PdL members sitting in the Senate of Italy did not
grant the confidence vote on a decree on stimulating economic growth.
Some
polls suggests that the PdL will gain about 15 percent of the support
of the voters, ranking third if elections would be held now, but –
as usual – Berlusconi is about to pull... himself out of the hat, and he is sure the future will vindicate his
decision.
Saturday,
November 24, 2012. Silvio Berlusconi might change his mint and run
for prime minister, relaunching Forza Italia party and spirit, and
(politically) killing his (former) heir apparent Angelino Alfano. Or he might
not.
The Spirit of '94
I
won't run, I might run, I won't run, I might run... after a few
turnabout, a couple of somersault, and at least one volte-face,
Silvio Berlusconi declared that – after all - he may seek to run in
2013 election further deteriorating the chaotic situation in
centre-right PdL party (People of Freedom).
"I
am thinking about it.", replied the former Italian Prime
Minister, when asked by reporters whether he was contemplating his
return “to the playing field" next spring when parliamentary
elections will take place (presumably on the 10th of March
2013), in order to pick a new Italian Prime Minister and government
to take over from technocrat Mario Monti. Silvio Berlusconi has been talking to revive Forza Italia's spirit for a while, as the only way to redeem his party.
Saturday, October 27, 2012. Silvio Berlusconi does an about-turn: he will not leave politics, because he must reform the judiciary first. And he might end support for Monti's government as well. And he is still very angry at Merkel-Sarkozy, you know why...
An angry Silvio Berlusconi
The recent sentence by a Milan's tribunal in the Mediaset-trial – last Friday Silvio Berlusconi was condemned to four years in jail, diminished to only one year thank to a tax fraud official remission – irritated the former Italian prime minister to such an extent, that he burst out talking nonsense, as usual, using its powerful media machinery.
Saturday, February 25, 2012. It could be the date when the former premier will be sentenced. At least that's Silvio Berlusconi's opinion.
Running out of options
“They are going to sentence me”, declared today Silvio Berlusconi to the Berlusconi-owned newspaper Il Giornale, “it's crazy, this country is in the judges' hands”.
The complaint is coming just a couple of days after an appeals court dismissed Silvio Berlusconi's claims of judicial bias, and cleared the way to proceed with a graft trial - the so-called Mills Trial - started back in 2006 (but related to events happened in the 90s). And after Mr Berlusconi managed to meet Mario Monti, the current Italian PM, trying to get some kind of support, any kind of support.
Thursday, January 26, 2012. Umberto Bossi accuses his ally Silvio Berlusconi of acting like a wimp and being afraid to send home Italian prime minister Mario Monti. And threatens to send home the President of Lombardy instead.
“Silvio is just afraid“ to send home Monti, “he's a wimp”. This is Umberto Bossi's position regarding Berlusconi unwillingness to send Monti home.
Are those real punches?
“Monti must go” is Bossi's slogan, otherwise Formigoni will go. Formigoni is the President of Lombardy region, Bossi is hinting that his party – the Northern League – could withdraw the support for the coalition.
Actually Mario Monti is shored up in the polls, even though the reforms brought by his technocratic government are tough and painful.
Bossi manoeuvre might be just a way to show his delusional fans (recently he's been booed on a Northern League's meeting) that he is alive and kicking, whilst many thinks former Ministry of Interior should oust him and get the lead of the quite-not-so angry crowds.
