Berlusconi: High court explains to former prime minister how the ban from public office works

Tuesday, 18 March 2014. Italian High Court explains to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi how the ban from public office works, and that he cannot run as a candidate for the European Parliament.

“Yes, you're banned from public office for two year, and no, you cannot run for European Parliament” told the High Court to Silvio Berlusconi, who tried to convince them that he had a case for his appeal (appealing also to the European Court of Human Rights).

The only way for Mr Berlusconi to get back to politics might be an appointment from his friend Putin?

While he was at it, he appealed also against his expulsion from the Senate, another measure – like the interdiction from taking part in elections as a candidate – taken after Mr Berlusconi was found guilty of tax fraud. 

Berlusconi's bunga bunga parties' details disclosed by Milan's court

Ruby the Heartstealer received from Silvio Berlusconi
"money and jewellery" in exchange for sex, according to Milan's judges

Thursday, 21 November 2013. Milan's court publishes details of Berlusconi conviction, is bunga bunga parties and his exchange of money and jewellery for sex with under-age dancer Karima el Mahroug (aka Ruby the Heart Stealer).

The proceedings about the sex scandal that involved Silvio Berlusconi ended up with a seven-year sentence, appeal pending. It's no more on the news, as it happened last June, but now new details have been disclosed about the sex scandal, as the Milan's court published a 350-page document about testimonies, bunga bunga parties and – of course – lots of women. 

The former prime minister of Italy will also be banned from public office for life (if he fails to win the appeal to the sentence), a problem that adds up to Berlusconi's woes: on Wednesday the Senate will decide whether to expel him from the Italian parliament, in the wake of his conviction for tax fraud (no appeal pending, this one is definitive).

Berlusconi says that his children feel like Jews with Hitler and asked him to leave the country

Wednesday, 6 Novembre 2013. In a new book published by famous Italian journalist Bruno Vespa, Berlusconi reveals that his children said they feel like a Jew family during Hitler's times.

In the run-up to the Italian Senate vote about the ousting of Silvio Berlusconi (as he was found guilty of tax fraud and convicted by all levels of Italian judiciary), the former prime minister is struggling to stay politically alive, and the publishing of his friend's book is a good chance to state his case and fight his war against his enemies.

77-year old Silvio Berlusconi seems to be worrying about his political future

“My children say they feel as Jewish families might have felt in Germany during Hitler's regime. Everybody is against as.” answered to Bruno Vespa's question about whether it is true that the children have asked him to sell out and leave Italy.

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 and his political heir (yes, another one...)

Tuesday, 13 August 2013. As Silvio Berlusconi's political future appears more and more doom and gloom, observers, friends and allies of the former prime minister point at his daughter Marina Berlusconi as new leader of the centre-right in Italy.

Marina Berlusconi with her younger  brother Pier Silvio

«I don't believe this will be the end of Berlusconi. The sentence [for tax fraud] will boost his approval» is the opinion of Northern League's founder (and disgraced former secretary) Umberto Bossi, a long-term friend (and sometimes foe) to Silvio Berlusconi, interviewed by Italian wire service ANSA.

Bossi will add that Berlusconi's daughter Marina could pick up the baton, adding to rumours that's been spreading since months.

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 will stand for prime minister (again?) if Bersani rejections of a large coalition leads to new elections

Saturday, 13 April, 2013. During a gathering in Bari, Silvio Berlusconi said he will run for prime minister for a fifth time if a a new election will be held following the centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani rejects forming a government with him.

The role of the saviour of the fatherland is Silvio Berlusconi's favourite, and he is trying to impersonate it again, as Italy keeps on wasting time trying to muddle up with its disgraceful state without a government, two months after general election created three hostile and feckless blocs.

Silvio, Silvio, Silvio!

In the months before February general election, the former prime minister first said goodbye to political life, than decided he had to stay, but – he said – without running for office. At least not as premier, at the most as minister of Economy.

Well, now things seems to have changed again, as Silvio has realised that without him Italy will be just going to the dogs. So he decided to seek office as a PM for the fifth time. Roberto Benigni is not going to like it...

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

Silvio Berlusconi and the property tax refund

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...

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 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 pussy's party

Thursday, October 6, 2011. Silvio Berlusconi finds the final solution to revamp his political future in Italy: a new party name.

Umberto Bossi – Berlusconi's main political partner – for the first time admitted that it seems “objectively complicated” that the current government carry on until 2013 (the end of the mandate).

But Berlusconi – who is probably feeling that something is not going the right way with the current government – has already a cunning solution, which could reverse any pessimistic forecast of the political developments of his current party (which name – The People of Freedom – proved not to be as catchy as he thought).

Does he have any idea? "We will examine any suggestions," said the Italian prime minister. But reportedly he then joked: "I was told the name that would have the largest success is 'Go Pussy!'.

Some Italians actually think that “Go Pussy” (“Forza Gnocca” in Italian), sounds like an ideal continuation of Berlusconi's strategy (which started back in the 1994 with the foundation of the “Forza Italia” - “Go Italy” - party), which main pillar is packing with “pussies” the Italian parliament and his residences. Politically it's not paying huge dividends, but it's nice to see (he may think). The list of women and alleged girlfriends somehow linked to the Italian tycoon seems to be almost endless.

A few days ago the President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco has denounced "behaviour that is contrary to public dignity" and "difficult to reconcile with institutional decorum", but perhaps Silvio Berlusconi simply didn't understand what he was getting at.