Berlusconi: even the loyal spokesman Paolo Bonaiuti leaves your sinking Forza Italia for the New Centre-Right?

Sunday, 14 April 2014. As Forza Italia (Go Italy) appears to be losing more and more voters, Paolo Bonaiuti decides to leave the party to follow Berlusconi's former dauphin Angelino Alfano into the Nuovo Centrodestra (New Centre-Right).

“It was a difficult and painful decision,” said the 74-year-old Paolo Bonaiuti, announcing his divorce from Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy) 2.0, the party re-founded by Berlusconi, when he decided to ditch the PDL (People of Freedom Party), in a virtual night of the long knives to get rid of some of his opponents.

Sometimes it was painful for Mr Bonaiuti (centre) to be on Berlusconi's side.

It's “a decision I have delayed for a long time, but fully motivated by political differences and personal incomprehension that have deepened in the past year.” said Bonaiuti, who has been Berlusconi's public face for a long long time. 

Berlusconi's last attempt... or everybody go home!

Wednesday, 25 September 2013. In order to fight a “coup against the leader of the centre-right” - as Silvio Berlusconi put it, all the PDL (People of Freedom) party members involved in the government ready to resign.

“Let's go home, Angelino,” says Silvio Berlusconi, “all of us”.

After meeting up to define the next steps of a strenuous opposition against the ousting of Silvio Berlusconi, the allies of the former prime minister seem ready to resign from their posts, starting from the PDL's MPs (by the way: everything started a week after the rebirth of Forza Italia – the original Berlusconi's party – was announced, so this might sign the definitive end of PDL).

“I haven't been sleeping for 55 days” said Silvio Berlusconi (trying to make it clear that wasn't due to infamous bunga-bunga parties or any other activities involving women) “I have lost 11 kilos” (which, by the way, might have been greeted as good news from his girlfriend Francesca Pascale).

Berlusconi exit form politics “unthinkable”?

Saturday, 24 August 2013. After a long lasting meeting at Silvio Berlusconi's home in Arcore, People of Liberty party's secretary stated that removing the former prime minister from parliament over a tax fraud conviction is ”unthinkable”.

Me, out of politics? Unthinkable!

Has Silvio Berlusconi been convicted as a fraudster? Was the sentence confirmed by three different courts (including the Supreme Court)? Never mind, removing him from the Italian Parliament is "unthinkable", said Angelino Alfano, after a PdL's meeting in Arcore where the party hardliners – apparently led by Daniela Santanchè - seemed to have prevailed.

At the plenary assembly in Villa San Martino in Arcore nobody was missing (otherwise it wouldn't have been such “plenary”...): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Angelino Alfano, Renato Schifani, lawyer Niccolò Ghedini, former Minister for Public Administration and Innovation Renato Brunetta, Sandro Bondi (yes, the guy who hinted at a civil war, as Berlusconi sentence was disclosed), Maurizio Gasparri, top Twitterer Maurizio Lupi and – of course – Daniela “Nice piece of ass” Santanchè. Berlusconi's girlfriend Francesca Pascale wasn't mentioned, but she lives there...

Berlusconi tearful pledge of innocence in front of thousand of supporters

Sunday, 4 August 2013. Thousands of Berlusconi's supporters travel – free of charge – to Rome to listen to Forza Italia's founder pledge of innocence and refusal to be called (and treated as a) fraudster.

Silvio Berlusconi and girlfriend Francesca Pascale, moved and tested

Who thought that Silvio Berlusconi's first definitive conviction would mean get rid of the billionaire and calm down Italy, should think again, as the former prime minister gathered thousands of supporter in a meeting in Rome and Italian politics seems bound to plunge into turmoil.

Berlusconi's ally and vice president of the Senate says a Minister reminds him of a orang-utan

Sunday, 14 July 2013. Roberto Calderoli, vice president of the Senate of Italy and member of the Northern League – a Berlusconi's People of Liberty political ally - compares the first black Italian minister Cécile Kyenge to orang-utan to show off at political rally in Treviglio.

The esthetically sensible Roberto Calderoli

The vice president of the Italian Senate was in Treviglio (a town in the province of Bergamo), last Sunday, holding a public speech in front of his fellow Northern League (NL) militants, when he came out saying “I love animals - bears and wolves, as everyone knows - but when I see the pictures of Kyenge I cannot but think of, even if I'm not saying she is one of those, the features of an orang-utan.”.

The handsome politician was speaking about Cécile Kyenge Kashetu, current Minister for Integration in the Letta cabinet, an Italian citizen of Congolese descent.

Berlusconi's blonde admirer torpedoed over 'homophobic' comments (but seems to fall on her feet)

Friday, 3 May 2013. Silvio Berlusconi staunch admirer and People of Liberty party's member of Italian parliament gets stripped of equal opportunities ministerial role over 'homophobic' comments.

The blonde Michaela Biancofiore, is an entrepreneur in the wellness industry, a politician, and a staunch defender and admirer of Silvio Berlusconi.

She once said of the former prime minister: «He has the defect to love women, but at least he's not like [former Lazio region's chairman] Marrazzo going with transsexuals,» (which is another version of good old Berlusconi's quote “It's better to be passionate about beautiful girls than to be gay.”, you can see the video of the performance on our YouTube channel by clicking here).

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? Silvio certainly does!

To make it clearer, in October 2012, the young Michaela (she will turn 43 in December 2013) commented at a press conference from Villa Gernetto in this way: «Yes, I listened to the presentation of Berlusconi ... a clarity like no other, once again he has proved to be the only a statesman [in Italy], has shown an ability that frankly leaves you breathless, speechless, at this time there are no other leader at its height [figuratively speaking], and I would like to emphasize that to the Italian people.»

The fair-haired politician also tried to convince the Italians that the media tycoon was the right man to become the the new President of the Republic – creating an ad hoc Internet site (berlusconialquirinale.org, Berlusconi to the Quirinal Hill, where the official residence of the Italian Head of State is). Nothing doing, slightly more than 1,000 people signed up, the now 87-year-old Giorgio Napolitano kept the job as Italian Head of State (left and right couldn't agree on a joint candidate).

Berlusconi at odds with Francesca Pascale?

Tuesday, 9 April, 2013. Meeting up with political opponents Enrico Letta and Pier Luigi Bersani (in order to find a common path for the election of the new head of state of Italy) Silvio Berlusconi finds time to complain about his girlfriend Francesca Pascale's attitudes.

The photo published by the newspaper Libero (real or fake?)

It might be quite unusual for Silvio Berlusconi to meet up with adversaries (especially when they are old wily communists, like Pier Luigi Bersani), but for sure it is unprecedented for the former prime minister of Italy to take it out on his beloved Neapolitan girlfriend (their engagement was made public last December) with them.

Yet that's exactly what happened, according to the right-wing newspaper Libero, as the presidente of the People of Liberty party (PdL) decided to have a chat with two of the Democratic Party's (PD) leaders, about how to get to vote for successor to the president of Italy Giorgio Napolitano without any squabble (if possible).

Everybody stands by Silvio Berlusconi?

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

Berlusconi returns to the Senate of Italy, just to witness the defeat of his speaker candidate

Sat, 16 March, 2013. After leaving the hospital where he was cured for an eye conditions Silvio Berlusconi returns to the Senate of Italy, welcomed by protesters' boos and jeers

Facing court trial both on tax fraud and sex charges for paying and under-age prostitute (Karima El Mahroug aka Ruby the Heart Stealer), Silvio Berlusconi chose – at least this is prosecutor of the sex scandal proceedings, Ilda Boccassini's theory – to seek refuge in hospital, with the excuse (according to prosecution) of curing a form conjunctivitis called uveitis.

The new look of Silvio Berlusconi (attending to a session of the  Senate of Italy)

In the meanwhile Silvio's lawyers, who managed to see the former Italian prime minister's «legitimate impediment» recognised, are trying A) to move the proceedings to Brescia and B) to seek for a «legitimate impediment» for themselves (for political reasons, since they have to attend to meetings and gatherings, being members of the PdL – People of Liberty party).

Manoeuvres to gain time (according to the leftist prosecutors). But this isn't the point.

The point is that - finally - Silvio Berlusconi last Saturday had to leave the hospital, in order to participate to a vote in the Senate, where the speaker was about to be elected.

He was showing off an unusual pair of sunglasses, proof of the eye condition the prosecutors refused to believe.

Silvio Berlusconi and his sensitivity to light

Saturday, 9 March, 2013. Silvio Berlusconi takes refuge from Italian judiciary in Milan hospital as two of his trials resume and the country gets stuck in political deadlock.

Last Saturday Silvio Berlusconi was expected to appear in court – the Mediaset trial was on, and the Rubygate was also reaching its apex – but his lawyers gave way to an «escalation of medical certifications» (as prosecutor Ilda Boccassini put it) in order to provide the former prime minister of Italy with a «legitimate impediment», a lawful excuse not to attend.

Cicchitto: «a Stalinist court that sent Nazi doctors to examine Berlusconi,»

What's the matter with him? Uveitis, a kind of conjunctivitis that causes sensitivity to light, headaches, blurred vision and other unpleasant symptoms. Not many chances that the judiciary and Silvio Belusconi will get to see eye to eye... The media tycoon has being treated at Milan's San Raffaele hospital.

It partially worked, as Silvio's request was accepted by the Ruby sex scandal case court, but was rejected by «a Stalinist court that sent Nazi doctors to examine Berlusconi,», as Fabrizio Cicchitto - a top official in the People of Freedom party (PDL) - put it, and found out that Berlusconi could easily attend to a trial, perhaps wearing a fashionable pair of sunglasses. (Translator's note: Historians might find it remarkable that Nazis and Bolsheviks finally found a way to join their goals, just for the sake of bringing Silvio down...).

Silvio Berlusconi reckons Benito Mussolini did quite well, actually, apart from those racial laws

Sunday, January 27, 2013. On the International Holocaust Remembrance Day Silvio Berlusconi finds it compelling to defend Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini's deeds, another victim of the “German power”, before taking a nap on a ceremony about the Shoah he wasn't even invited to.

Sleeping the sleep of the just?

It hasn't been the first time that Silvio Berlusconi felt like defending "poor" Mussolini, who – in the view of the former Italian prime minister – was a “benevolent leader”, who “never killed anybody” and just used to “send people on holiday”, but this time the timing seemed to be really dodgy, even for the prone-to-blunder media tycoon. 

On Sunday Silvio took part in the inauguration of a monument to the deported of the Shoah, and he must have though "what a better occasion than this one, to praise good ol' Benito?".

Silvio Berlusconi and the reconciliation with the Northern League

Monday, January 7, 2013. Silvio Berlusconi and Northern League's Roberto Maroni sign an agreement. With not many clear points on it, but an blurry alliance is better then no ally at all, isn't it.

Silvio's smiling?

Actually Silvio Berlusconi and Northern League's (Lega Nord) Roberto Maroni agreed to disagree, yesterday, since the only sure thing about the pact is that the NL does not want the Italian former prime minister and media tycoon to stand for head of government, and he (I mean the tycoon) had to agree, otherwise he would find himself without an ally, and hordes of enemies. 

So, who will be the candidate for this centre-right coalition? "I already proposed he's candidacy, and I think it will be he again, Angelino Alfano" said the former prime minister, when interviewed by Italian radio broadcaster RTL.

Berlusconi and the phone call with his sweetheart Nicole Minetti

Sunday, August 1, 2010 – 12:15pm. Silvio Berlusconi calls his (alleged) girlfriend Nicole Minetti and they chat about the political situation, the scandal about Gianfranco Fini's flat in Montecarlo, the sex-trial Rubygate, and much much more.

Silvio Berlusconi: Hello darling
Nicole Minetti: Hey, hello!
Silvio Berlusconi: how is my talented Councillor?
Nicole Minetti: Well, well. And how are you?
Silvio Berlusconi: Everybody speaks so highly of you, I am so glad
Nicole Minetti: Really?
Silvio Berlusconi: Really, sweetheart
Nicole Minetti: Yes
Silvio Berlusconi: Yes, yes.
Nicole Minetti: Who?
Silvio Berlusconi: Everybody, everybody. Those from the [Northern] League, our men...
Nicole Minetti: Come on!
Silvio Berlusconi: Recently Giorgio Puricelli [Lombardy Region PdL's Councillor]
Nicole Minetti: Okay, very good. I am happy, you know?
Silvio Berlusconi: eh, eh
Nicole Minetti: Well, well.
Silvio Berlusconi: And are you happy?
Nicole Minetti: A lot! Of course I'm happy, I am very happy!
Silvio Berlusconi: mmmmh
Nicole Minetti: Absolutely!
Silvio Berlusconi: So, when we hold elections, you can get into the [Italian] Parliament
Nicole Minetti: Obviously! But I think I will take sides with Freedom and Future [movement led by Silvio Berlusconi's rival and PdL deserter Gianfranco Fini] of (laugh)


Silvio Berlusconi: Aaaa. We aaare...
Nicole Minetti: Come on, it's a joke... have a laugh!
Silvio Berlusconi: We are, we are, we are in a huge mess, yes, I am laughing, I am, but we still are in a huge mess, huh?
Nicole Minetti: Oh my God, oh my God, that's terrible
Silvio Berlusconi: But have you read the newspapers?
Nicole Minetti: When, today?
Silvio Berlusconi: Yes.
Nicole Minetti: No, today I haven't yet.
Silvio Berlusconi: So, this one [alluding to Gianfranco Fini, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies] he took this flat, that was bequeathed by a woman to his party
Nicole Minetti: Yes
Silvio Berlusconi: And he sold it... He sold it... the value was 2 million euro and he sold it for 67,000 euro to... practically himself.
Nicole Minetti: I don't believe that.
Silvio Berlusconi: Yes. And he put into into it his wife's brother, who lives there.
Nicole Minetti: (laugh)
Silvio Berlusconi: The whole thing happened in Montecarlo [Principality of Monaco], through an offshore company
Nicole Minetti: Noooo.
Silvio Berlusconi: And then his mouth is full of worlds like morality and lawfulness.
Nicole Minetti: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, no, no.
Silvio Berlusconi: And do you know where he lives?
Nicole Minetti: No
Silvio Berlusconi: He lives in his partner's home...
Nicole Minetti: Yes.
Silvio Berlusconi: The house that his partner nicked from Gaucci [Luciano Gaucci, Italian entrepreneur], who registered it in her name, in order to avoid seizure from creditors...
Nicole Minetti: Can you realise that?
Silvio Berlusconi: … and when he asked it back, she did not give it back.
Nicole Minetti: Those are the worst, it's the worst, he is the worst. I mean, it's crazy... It's crazy, he is disgusting.

Silvio Berlusconi: And now how can we keep him there President of the Chamber. And the newspapers don't talk about this. Only the newspaper Libero talks about it.
Nicole Minetti: Of course.
Silvio Berlusconi: And another disgusting thing, the famous free Italian press, it's disgusting.
Nicole Minetti: Yes, yes, it's true, it's true, it's true. I can remember a very good article written by Feltri [Vittorio Feltri], if I'm not wrong, some time ago, about a house of De Mita, straight away, in Rome, you know... Silvio Berlusconi: Yes, yes. Nicole Minetti: … about the fact he got it from INPS [Italian National Institute of Social Security]. The fact is that, in the end, the newspapers don't talk about it.
Silvio Berlusconi: Yes, but here we are not talking about a discount over the rent, or a whatsit, here the fact is that somebody steals from his own party, do you understand?
NB: Yes, yes, it's disgusting. He isn't even a member, did you know it?
Silvio Berlusconi: Yes, he isn't a member.
Nicole Minetti: He's not a member.
Silvio Berlusconi: No... So now, we have to bump him off, because he so mad at us... he's full of hate for me... because of the newspapers, for everything, that is irrepressible.
Nicole Minetti: Yes, he is envious, because in the end...
Silvio Berlusconi: Alright.
Nicole Minetti: (mimbles something, but Silvio Berlusconi doesn't allow her to talk)
Silvio Berlusconi: Listen, I am at war, what do you do on holiday? Were are you going with Ba... you and Barbie [Barbara Faggioli]. Are you together?
Nicole Minetti: I still don't know, we haven't talked yet.
Silvio Berlusconi: And what about Barbie?
Nicole Minetti: Well, sh is well, absolutely very well, she is good.
Silvio Berlusconi: mmh
Nicole Minetti: She is studying.
Silvio Berlusconi: Good, very well, very w... Giorgio told me you were in Villa d'Este.
Nicole Minetti: Yeees, we went to Villa d'Este and Giorgio Pozzi was there too and everything yes, we were well, no worries. They are crazy, anyway, aren't they?
Silvio Berlusconi: What do you mean?
Nicole Minetti: Come on, they are crazy. Giorgio Pozzi is crazy az a loon.
Silvio Berlusconi: Really?
Nicole Minetti: Oh my God, yes!
Silvio Berlusconi: Why?
Nicole Minetti: Because he is. He's crazy, but makes you laugh, he's nice, but he is crazy. Silvio Berlusconi: (incomprehensible)
Nicole Minetti: He had a Rumanian girl there, he had.
Silvio Berlusconi: A Rumanian girl?
Nicole Minetti: I swear! (laugh)
Silvio Berlusconi: (laugh) … but presentable or not?
Nicole Minetti: A piece of ass.
Silvio Berlusconi: What.
Nicole Minetti: A piece of ass.
Silvio Berlusconi: Aaah, a piece of... in that case.
Nicole Minetti: Yes, yes. And also a good friend of Flo [Florina Marincea], get that.
Silvio Berlusconi: Just think!
Nicole Minetti: Yes. (laugh)
Silvio Berlusconi: That Flo, did you see, she made those 10 pages with Roncuzzi?
Nicole Minetti: Yes, yes, yes.
Silvio Berlusconi: That's shameful.
Nicole Minetti: My goodness, it can't be, it can't be.
Silvio Berlusconi: Oh well, listen sweetheart, where are you, in Rimini or Milan?
Nicole Minetti: No, I'm in Milan, I am.
Silvio Berlusconi: mmmh, in Milan, in Milan...
Silvio Berlusconi: Unfortunately I'm leaving for Rome...
Nicole Minetti: I know, because tomorrow you'll be...
Silvio Berlusconi: yeah... with the senator... and so on... mmmh
Nicole Minetti: but when do you leave, at what time do you leave?
Silvio Berlusconi: eeh, I leave... now.
Nicole Minetti: Really?
Silvio Berlusconi: And I still have this arm aching, I cannot even hold the mouthpiece of the telephone in my hand.
Nicole Minetti: It's still there?
Silvio Berlusconi: Still there, still there. Can't understand what is it.
Nicole Minetti: Mamma mia.
Silvio Berlusconi: Prepare yourself to see me without an arm.
Nicole Minetti: Exaggerated! Do you know that the other day in the council came to me Giuliante [Gianluca Giuliante, PdL's lawyer], to talk to me about the Ruby story?
Silvio Berlusconi: And who is this Giuliante?
Nicole Minetti: Giuliante is the PdL's [People of Liberty party] lawyer, as well as... Lele's [Lele Mora]
Silvio Berlusconi: So he practically came over there, because... he called my assistant, and told her “Look, I have to talk to Nicole, I have to talk to Nicole” , came over to the Council, and practically told me the whole story, about this prosecutor, his name is Forno, who is following the case, who practically say that according to him, not now, but in September, he will call me because, anyway both Ruby and the other ass-hole Michelle [Michelle Conceicao] have put my name forward... and well, nothing, he told me about how were things going, and so on, because they opened an investigation over this Michelle, because in fact it's true that Ruby denounced her
Silvio Berlusconi: So Ruby denounced Michelle?
Nicole Minetti: Yes, for inducement of prostitution
Silvio Berlusconi: Can't be.
Nicole Minetti: Yes.
Silvio Berlusconi: You mean that someone labels herself as ...?
Nicole Minetti: Yes, yes.
Silvio Berlusconi: You mean that someone labels herself a whore?
Nicole Minetti: Yes. (laugh)
Silvio Berlusconi: By herself.
Nicole Minetti: I swear.
Silvio Berlusconi: Crazy stuff. Well, what is important that several persons can testify that she told us an age different as in reality.
Nicole Minetti: Of course. Clear. Of course, of course, of course.
Silvio Berlusconi: If that happens, nothing more will happen.
Nicole Minetti: And then...
Silvio Berlusconi: We just helped her because we felt pity for her.
Nicole Minetti: Yes, because he told me that this Forno has also some photos in his hands. Who gave them to him? Michelle.
Silvio Berlusconi: (long pause) I understand.
Nicole Minetti: (giggles)
Silvio Berlusconi:Oh well, let's hope it won't become a mess.
Nicole Minetti: No, but... let's hope.
Silvio Berlusconi: Well, a littler is enough for...
Nicole Minetti: I know.
Silvio Berlusconi: If it's about me, all the newspaper are happy
Nicole Minetti: In fact it's like that.
Silvio Berlusconi: Anyhow, we didn't do anything wrong...
Nicole Minetti: Nooo, in fact.
Silvio Berlusconi: It's a just a teasing.
Nicole Minetti: Indeed, indeed.
Silvio Berlusconi: Very well, okay. Ciao. I'll ring you one of these days, than we meet up before the end of the week, if you are around. Ciao sweetheart.
Nicole Minetti: Ciao sweetheart, a big kiss.

Silvio Berlusconi and the Sicilian clans

Monday, December 10, 2012. As the secretary of the People of Liberty party (PdL) Angelino Alfano states that Silvio Berlusconi's good friend Marcello Dell'Utri is a “miserable man”, the centre-right party's crisis becomes quite evident.

RAI TV programme Porta a Porta (Door to Door) or Italian journalist Bruno Vespa's  lounge – as the late night talk show is frequently called – is a hot spot for discussions, quarrels, rows, and – sometimes – fights, especially when general elections are in sight.

... if Alfano strikes...

And this is the case, because general election will take place in Italy as soon as February 2012. But normally all the squabbling and skirmishing happens between members of different parties and movements. This time the discussion is within Berlusconi's PdL (People of Liberty), to be more precise, within the Sicilian tribes of the party.

Silvio Berlusconi and the spread-scam used to try to bring down a majority government elected by the Italians

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?

Silvio Berlusconi and the spirit of '94

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 10^th 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.

Silvio Berlusconi: is the former PM a dinosaur or a rabbit?

Thursday, November 8, 2012. Frictions between Silvio Berlusconi and Angelino Alfano become clear on a press conference following a long-drawn-out meeting on the candidates for the PdL primary election. And the future of the People of Liberty party becomes cloudier.

Silvio Berlusconi does not really like primary elections and does not trust that much in Angelino Alfano (Berlusconi's former heir apparent and PdL's secretary) capabilities. That's quite clear now. Even though Alfano – former Italian Minister of Justice (and Keeper of the Seals) – was directly chose my the Italian media tycoon.

The former Italian PM already (more or less) agreed on holding primary elections on the 16^th of December (in order to decide the premier candidate and a new name for the fell-from-grace People of Freedom Party), but – disclosing the results of an opinion poll he had commissioned earlier that bore quite bad news – he is now convinced that only a “shock” therapy could revive the party; there's a need for a “Berlusconi of '94”, he said during the last meeting at Palazzo Grazioli held with their allies to discuss the details of the elections.

And when the Italian Silvio talks about “shock”, he means that he will pull a rabbit out of his hat, he is quoted to had said during the meeting, the only difference is that this time – instead of a rabbit – it “will be a dinosaur”. It sounded like a promise (or a threat, depending on the point of view), but it's honestly difficult to see how Berlusconi - who was recently convicted of tax fraud and is currently on trial for allegedly having had sex with an under-age prostitute – could represent (again!) a credible candidate to lead Italy.

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“The primary elections does not represent the redemption of the party” said Berlusconi, but he become a minority when he tried to substitute votes with a call centre lead polling or the hand-picked choice of a new candidate by himself. Alfano dismissed this by saying they don't need ice-cream vendors (alluding to the Italian ice-cream company GROM's founder, Guido Martinetti, allegedly considered as a potential leader of the party), stand-up comedians (possibly Berlusconi himself?) and showgirls (the list is quite long, actually... Iliana Calabrò is just the newest of Silvio's favourites), and the meeting seemed to result in an internal row.

During the following press conference Mr Berlusconi decided to pick up Monti government on its policies that “lead to recession and hurt the country”. Berlusconi also stressed that “all the fundamental figures [about unemployment, industrial production, and so on] of the country have worsened over the past year”.

But then he added: "We will not lead our election against Monti” because it could be counterproductive for the PdL. So – as Alfano put it – the PdL is not in favour of Monti's government, but they are not against it either.

Looks like the umpteenth PdL gathering brought more questions, than answers: will the PdL survive, yes or no? Will Angelino Alfano be the successor of SB, yes or no? Will Berlusconi get something out of his hat? Will it be a rabbit or a dinosaur?

Silvio Berlusconi gets angry (and decides to get back to politics)

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.

Silvio Berlusconi and the real estate business

Monday, October 22, 2012. Gets public the news that a Silvio Berlusconi-owned real estate agent bought an apartment from the Neapolitan singer Mariano Apicella, a favourable witness in the Ruby-trial.

Apicella, Berlusconi - always willing to help a friend out -, Vespa

Mariano Apicella is a Neapolitan singer, “personal minstrel" of Silvio Berlusconi - together* they also published a music album, dubbed “Amore Vero” (“True Love”) in November 2011 - and he is a regular guest to the bunga-bunga parties (note: rumours spread that bung-bunga has been renamed squit-squit, but this is another story) at the former Italian PM mansion.

During the hearings of the so-called Ruby-trial (you know, Silvio is accused of having paid for sex with an under-age nightclub dancer, Karima El Mahroug, aka Ruby the Heartbreaker), Apicella testified – he is giving a favourable testimony in the proceedings against Berlusconi – that he had never witnessed any kind of “grope” during the Arcore's Villa San Martino's hedonistic evenings, and he never saw the former Prime Minister “lay his hands on female guests”.

Now, it has come to light (i.e. Mr Apicella told the story to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera) that in June 2011 – the sex trial was already under way, Berlusconi had been indicted a few months before, the list of witnesses was disclosed in April 2011 – a real estate agent called “Dueville” bought an unpretentious apartment in the district Cecchina, in the small town of Albano Laziale from Mariano Apicella, at the price of €280,000 (£226,000). The owner of Dueville Immobiliare is Berlusconi's Dolcedrago (40 per cent) and two other companies linked to Berlusconi's Fininvest (60 per cent).

The Parthenopean minstrel said that Silvio Berlusconi was a person who deals with loads of money and who, open-handedly, wanted to “help me out.” And asked: “Is it forbidden to do a favour for a friend?".

The straightforward answer might be “no”, it is not forbidden to do any lawful favour to friends, but in case of witnesses in a criminal trial, well... the interpretation could be slightly different.

* Silvio Berlusconi is a fervent lyrics writer, he is also co-author with Mariarosaria Rossi of the People of Freedom new anthem, "People of Freedom"

Silvio Berlusconi and the traitors

Sunday, November 8, 2011. A vote on the previous year's public finances review reveals Mr Berlusconi's majority may have gone. For good.

Silvio Berlusconi looking at vote results

In the recent past, any vote in the Chamber of Deputies have became a challenge to the prime minister majority, but Silvio Berlusconi has always managed to sort things out, mainly through late horse-trading sessions, many believe.

Beside this, his closest ally – Northern League's Umberto Bossi – has always kept defending his boss.

Berlusconi tried anything to keep Italian's faith, even promising to change his party's name, to a more intriguing one.

Nothing doing.

And when Umberto Bossi was asked by the journalists whether Berlusconi should step down, he answered: maybe not, just step aside.

Vote in the Italian Parliament

Meanwhile the horse-trading somehow got a reverse stream in the past days, as more and more people realised that without Berlusconi's resignation there was no way out of the current lockout. Pressure ratcheted up on him to resign. And few of his allies decided to flee the sinking boat.

And today – yet again – the parliament had to vote on the “rendiconto” (a financial review) that lead to a tie vote just one month ago (see Silvio Berlusconi and the really, really bad luck).

Well, today things went differenty: instead of a draw, Berlusconi's government reached a win in the vote, but he obtained only 308 votes where the absolute majority is of 316 votes.

There are 8 traitors, and Berlusconi has reviewed the list of voters to reveal (and possibly hunt down) them, but this time no horse-trading seem to work and save his government.