Silvio Berlusconi and his friend Bruno Vespa

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).

The President and the Comedian

RobertoBenigni (mis)used a cultural television programme to attack the former Italian prime minister, who – in return – reckons legitimate to (mis)use a talk show to talk – alone, with no cross-examination, the host of the programme is a friend - about what he is going to do (or – more exactly – about what Italians want him to do).

"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".

A well organised electoral speech.

Video from our YouTube Channel: Berluschannel

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... 

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 missing key witness

Monday, December 10, 2012. Key defence witness Karima el Mahroug (aka Ruby the Heart Stealer) does not show up in court for Silvio Berlusconi's sex-related Rubygate trial. It turns out she's in Mexico.

Are you trying to delay the proceedings? Oh, not at all!

Most probably Karima el Mahroug (aka Ruby the Heart Stealer) just forgot the court date (Silvio Berlusconi's trial, he is accused of having paid for her sexual services, as under-age prostitute) when she decided to travel to Mexico, with her boyfriend and one-year-old daughter Sofia Aida.

That's why she was not there last Monday, without notifying her attorney or sending any documentation to justify the absence from the sex-scandal trial. Quite remarkably, Berlusconi's lawyers did not bother to talk to her, just to make sure they'd be on the same page in the court, just to realise she was somewhere else.

Berlusconi and the bunga bunga army

Friday, November 9, 2012. During the so-called Ruby-trial, it turns out that Silvio Berlusconi is still maintaining girls involved in (and witnesses of) the sex scandal.

Aris Espinosa

According to prosecutors, the 42 girls – among them the famous Ruby the Heartstealer (stage name of Karima El Mahroug), Elisa Toti, Aris Espinoza, Ioana Visan, Marysthell Polanco and Eleonora De Vivo – were recruited by Nicole Minetti and all live in a condominium in Milano 2 residential zone (address in 65 Via Olgettina, that's way the young females are also known as "le olgettine"), they obviously are habitués of the bunga-bunga parties (apart from being witnesses in a proceeding against Silvio Berlusconi in a sex-related trial), and they are all receiving around 2,500 euros monthly (that is £2,000 or $3,200), a pretty nice income in today's Italy.

Elisa Toti admitted also receiving a Mini car as a gift and help in the purchase of a house (in terms of cash and guarantee).

Silvio Berlusconi DID NOT sing any song

Thursday, 24 March 2011. Silvio Berlusconi DID NOT sing any song. Signed: The Italian Government's Cabinet.

The Cabinet of the Italian Government issues a clarifying note – through it's official site www.governo.it – that should stop for good the terrible and slanderous rumours the communist press has been spreading around in the previous days.

The Italian Government official note

The rumours follow the dinner Mr Berlusconi organised at Palazzo Grazioli, his residence in Rome, with a group of members of the Italian Parliament, called the Responsible Ones (Movement of National Responsibility). The group - founded by Domenico Scilipoti - is called "The Responsible Ones" because the members switched sides (they were affiliated to Antonio Di Pietro's Italy of Values), in order to keep Silvio Berlusconi's coalition alive.

Too many women for Silvio Berlusconi?

Sunday, 25 January 2009. Sassari (Sardinia). Silvio Berlusconi, Il Cavaliere, admits he hasn't a clue about how to solve the problem of rapes in Rome and other Italian cities.

Following a series of sex related assaults carried out around Italy, reporters questioned the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi about the possibility of deploying army troops to defent women and curb sexual crime.

Berlusconi laughing with fans (female fans, of course)

The politician replied by saying that there would be the need to send as many soldiers as there are beautiful girls and women in country.

So, Italy would need millions of soldiers, not just 300,000 units an initial the proposal stated.

People shouldn't forget that Silvio remarks are often made with a sense of "levity", as the president billionaire pointed out later. Oh, he can be so funny, Silvio Berlusconi.

Here's my daughter. She's already come of age.

Saturday, 19 February 2011. Italy's Capital historical centre. The Italian politician-entrepreneur meets up with the journalist, a relaxing moment with Silvio Berlusconi. Or is it?

Enrico Mentana, Director of TG La7

Silvio Berlusconi and Enrico Mentana (former anchorman of Berlusconi's TG5 and Matrix TV programmes and now news director at La7, Italian niche TV channel) bump into each other centre of Rome.

The Italian Prime Minister's armour-plated car is leaving Palazzo Grazioli, his residence in Rome. Mentana is strolling around with his family.

Silvio Berlusconi spots his former employee, stops the procession, gets out of his car to greet him. Big smiles, hand shaking (apparently they both forgot any previous conflict. And they did have conflicts*!), then the Premier starts a small talk with the youngest of Mentana's children, sitting on the journalist shoulders: «You're such a big girl, you shouldn't need to suck a dummy».