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's supporters «silent protesting»

Monday, 11 March, 2013 (Saint Leander of Seville). As the Vatican's cardinals join the papal conclave a crowd of centre-right lawmakers protest against Silvio Berlusconi going on trial on charges of paying for sex with an ander-age girl and abusing of his power as PM.

The plan A was to avoid the trial by sending a fax (a few faxes) stating that Silvio Berlusconi conjunctivitis-caused sensitivity to light (or uveitis, to be more precise, see our blog's post on the sunbject by clicking here) doesn't allow the former prime minister of Italy to attend to the so called Rubygate sex scandal trial Monday's session.

But it didn't work out, because of «a Stalinist court that sent Nazi doctors to examine Berlusconi,», said the Berlusconi's PdL (People of Liberty) Party exponent's Fabrizio Cicchitto (who - by the way - is a former Marxist-winger of the Italian Socialist Party; he might even know something about Stalinism and Nazism, innit?). A "Stalinist court", which is "more dangerous than the Sicilian Mafia", we might say, combining Cicchitto version with Silvio's opinion.

Souvenir photo of a "silent protest" in favour of Silvio Berlusconi. Can you spot anyone?

Anyhow. The plan did not work out, so the staunch supporters of Silvio had to do something, and they decided to go for a “silent protest” (even though Silvio himself told them refrain from doing so... but did he really meant it?).

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...).