Silvio Berlusconi and the mother of all defeats

Wednesday, June 1 2011. Unpredictable happens: Letizia Morattti hands over mayor post to Giuliano Pisapia as Silvio Berlusconi loses Milan and his crusade against gypsies and Italian left-wingers.

Letizia Moratti (BEFORE the elections)

Actually nobody could have predicted such an ending, Silvio Berlusconi said a defeat in his stronghold was “unthinkable”.

Berlusconi casting his vote

The far left-wingers thinks Giuliano Pisapia – the new mayor of Milan – is just another representative of the bourgeoisie of Lombardy capital, whilst the right-wingers thinks he's an extremist, friend of extremists. And everybody (especially the prime minister) tried to depict him as the wrong candidate.

Silvio Berlusconi and his coalition did everything they could do in order to hold the financial capital of Italy (and the prime minister birthplace) in their hands, turning the local election into a referendum, where the voter could only choose between handing the city over to gypsies and islamists, or vote for the PdL (The People of Freedom party) candidate, Letizia Moratti, a powerful woman, sister-in-law of the president of Inter Milan Football Club, Massimo Moratti, arch-enemy of Berlusconi's AC Milan.

Giuliano Pisapia,

the new mayor

And Silvio used all his power to communicate this simple message, appearing on TV in almost any news service (which – by the way – have been fined because of the lack of fairness, see our blog).

"If Pisapia wins," Berlusconi said, "Milan will become a Muslim town, a Gypsyville of Roma camps, a city besieged by foreigners." He did not manage to persuade the majority of the voters, since Pisapia won with 315,862 votes (55,01 per cent).

After losing Milan (not to mention Turin and Naples) to the leftists, June will be a difficult month for the prime minister, full of unpleasant appointments (apart from dealing with the anger of his ally, the Northern League). Among the others: the referendum on nuclear energy, which he tried to avoid with a legerdemain that did not work and has became quite a risky game (his enemies will try hard to beat him on that occasion too) and the resume of the Rubygate trial.

Is the fortune of the man who – for good or ill – has dominated Italian politics and society turning?

Video from our YouTube Channel: Berluschannel 

Silvio Berlusconi and the eagerly awaited sex-scandal trial

Wednesday, April 6 2011. The first session of the Silvio Berlusconi's Rubygate trial has been adjourned, after 15 minutes.

Do you know how trials work in Italy? The so-called “Rubygate” proceedings are a good example of that. Silvio Berlusconi is accused of having paid an under-age prostitute for her services, namely Karima El Mahroug, aka Ruby Rubacuori (Italian for "Ruby Heartstealer", the nom de guerre of the girl). Other women were believed to have received money for the same reason, but they were adults, and that's not a crime in Italy (I mean: it's not a crime to give money in exchange for sex to women above 18).

Court and press

The first hearings were due for on 6 April. The build-up was huge. An extensive international press coverage was set-up. Outside of the fascist-era court building in Milan an assemblage people gathered: curious folks, Berlusconi tireless haters and fans.