Berlusconi and the topless menace

Sunday, February 24, 2013. Three half naked women try to prevent Silvio Berlusconi from reaching the polling station, supporting rumours that females “just throw themselves at him”.

The sudden attack of three topless Ukrainian women caused some concern amongst the law enforcement officers escorting Silvio Berlusconi to the polling station (general election take place on Sunday 24 and Monday 25 February in Italy), but the former prime minister of Italy surely did not find himself in a totally unusual situation (having dealt with an entire bunga-bunga army for quite a while), and he did not budge.

FEMEN activist grabbed by Berlusconi's escort

After the first puzzlement, the half-nude women were quickly pinned down in the falling snow, detained by police and then hastily dragged away screaming, creating quite a chaotic scene (you can see it on the video on our YouTube channel) as people stood in queue to cast their vote at Milan's school building.

Berlusconi, the Italian Judiciary and the Sicilian Mafia

Saturday, February 23, 2013. Silvio Berlusconi breaches the electoral silence just to declare that he reckons Sicilian Mafia is less dangerous than Italian Judiciary. Or the other way around.

«The Italian Judiciary is a Mafia, they are more dangerous than the Sicilian Mafia,» says Silvio Berlusconi, on a day when political issues are banned from the media by the “Electoral Silence Rule”. Another quip destined to find a place amongst Berlusconi's quotes.

Berlusconi greets Galliani, as he arrives to Milanello on his helicopter,
in order to spur AC Milan and slam Italian Judiciary

Actually it looks like a “premeditated scoop”, as usual, since a friendly journalist put the right question to the former Italian prime minister, totally out of context (Silvio was in “Milanello”, where he arrived on a helicopter, in order to greet AC Milan's player, on the eve of the Milan's derby against FC Internazionale).

«And I say it» will follow on the ineffable Silvio «knowing to say something huge». Result: Silvio get headlines everywhere (starting from our blog, sigh! :-( ).

Some might wonder about the ranking within Silvio Berlusconi's scales of values, where Italian Judiciary seem to score less than Sicilian Mafia, and dictator Benito Mussolini seems to enjoy quite some credit, from the right-wing politician.

Here's the script of the interview... pardon, the monologue of Silvio Berlusconi in Milanello (you can find the video on our YouTube channel):

«...because here in Italy, I have been attacked in connection with the bunga-bunga, which is an operation of deception, defamation, which is supported by nothing. In fact nothing came out of it. They made 150,000 telephone interceptions. Without discovering a single crime. And continue with the proceedings, which have been reported by all foreign newspapers, where the judiciary is a serious matter whereas here in Italy it's a Mafia, more dangerous than the Sicilian Mafia. And I say it knowing to say a big thing.». A big thing, and not really a funny one, Mr Berlusconi!

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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...