Berlusconi cross: Napolitano left him out of the life Senator's list

Thursday, 29 August 2013. Becoming a life Senator could have meant to Silvio Berlusconi a way out from legal woes, but Giorgio Napolitano did not include the former prime minister in the list of celebrities. Too bad.

An angry Berlusconi (Photograph: Reuters/Alessandro Bianchi)

Of course Berlusconi's People of Freedom party put all the pressure they could to get the former prime minister in the list of newly appointed life Senators, but in the end they had to cope with the fact that their leader will not be granted the honour, perhaps because he is not a former head of state nor a distinguished personality in the arts and sciences (nope, bunga-bunga parties do not count as achievement in arts).

Berlusconi did not take it well (actually he is cross!), since it could have meant cutting the Gordian knot in a situation where he doesn't seem to find a way out: in few days the parliament will be voting on his expulsion from the Senate, following his conviction for tax fraud, and he is more and more frightened by the prospect (nope, the European Court of Human Rights might not grant his salvation).

Berlusconi turns to the European Court of Human Rights, this time

Wednesday, 28 August 2013. Running short of ideas Silvio Berlusconi turns to the European Court of Human Rights in order to try and avoid ousting from politics after final sentence for tax fraud.

Aha, I've got a new idea!

After he was sentenced to a 4-year term in jail for tax fraud, Silvio Berlusconi has truly tried everything, from weeping in front of thousands of fans (after his party delivered the crowd by bus to Rome), to staging an “air Blitz” on Italian beaches, he also tried to blackmail his PdL's ally Democratic Party in the coalition government («either you vote against my ousting from the Senate» he allegedly told them «or I will tear the government down», and die with the Philistines...), and just putting his feed down («my removal from politics is “unthinkable”» he sent word via his loyal squire Angelino Alfano).

Neither the recruiting of Freedom Fighters  to fight a jihad to defend its leader brought the desired results...

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...