Silvio Berlusconi and the well prepared and serious politician

Sunday, October 14, 2012. Lombardy Regional Council's member and Berlusconi's favourite politician strips off for fashion and than declares “to be a politician there's no need to be prepared”.

Well done, Ms Councillor

Berlusconi met Nicole Minetti when she treated him – as a dental hygienist – for a broken teeth, after he was hit by a small statuethrown by a protester in December 2009. Silvio made friends with Nicole – some says to such an extent that she dresses as a nun at Silvio's parties –, and in 2010 she turned up as a candidate for the Lombardy Council, lead by Berlusconi's stalwart Roberto Formigoni, and got the post (won the election).

When criticised for supporting a sexy youngster to be a councillor, Silvio Berlusconi answered – by interrupting a live show Italian TV La7 with a telephone call – that Nicole Minetti was a “well prepared and serious” person, that she should not be considered just a bimbo.

Well, the councillor Minetti doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that anybody might think she's not “prepared” for the politician's job, in fact she declared on a Berlusconi-owned Canale5 TV show that “to be a politician you do not need to be prepared” at all.

Some of the questions put to Nicole Minetti by former CNN journalist (now an anchorman at Mediaset's Canale 5) Alessio Vinci were raised by the fact that the councillor – a couple of weeks before the interview – took part to a fashion show in Milan, were she showed herself scantily clad (of course, it was a beachwear show by Parah!).

When asked whether politics and fashion could be reconciled, she answered that in fact “politics must support fashion”.

Oddly enough, many asked for Nicole Minetti to resign, but she has several times declared that Angelino Alfano, her boss, never phoned her on the subject (even though some of the PdL – People of Freedom Party – women already solicited Alfano to do so, even by tweeting ti him).

One thing is for sure: five (update: 14 out of 85) members of Lombardy Council have already been arrested, on bribing, embezzlement and/or mafia links charges, fashion might be a more secure job sector nowadays in Italy.

What do Italian think of the whole story? Well, some of them just reckon that Nicole should strip off more...

The councillor Nicole Minetti at work

Silvio Berlusconi and the verdict

Saturday, February 25, 2012. It could be the date when the former premier will be sentenced. At least that's Silvio Berlusconi's opinion.

Running out of options

“They are going to sentence me”, declared today Silvio Berlusconi to the Berlusconi-owned newspaper Il Giornale, “it's crazy, this country is in the judges' hands”.

The complaint is coming just a couple of days after an appeals court dismissed Silvio Berlusconi's claims of judicial bias, and cleared the way to proceed with a graft trial - the so-called Mills Trial - started back in 2006 (but related to events happened in the 90s). And after Mr Berlusconi managed to meet Mario Monti, the current Italian PM, trying to get some kind of support, any kind of support.

Silvio Berlusconi is a the wimp, says Umberto Bossi

Thursday, January 26, 2012. Umberto Bossi accuses his ally Silvio Berlusconi of acting like a wimp and being afraid to send home Italian prime minister Mario Monti. And threatens to send home the President of Lombardy instead.

“Silvio is just afraid“ to send home Monti, “he's a wimp”. This is Umberto Bossi's position regarding Berlusconi unwillingness to send Monti home.

Are those real punches?

“Monti must go” is Bossi's slogan, otherwise Formigoni will go. Formigoni is the President of Lombardy region, Bossi is hinting that his party – the Northern League – could withdraw the support for the coalition.

Actually Mario Monti is shored up in the polls, even though the reforms brought by his technocratic government are tough and painful.

Bossi manoeuvre might be just a way to show his delusional fans (recently he's been booed on a Northern League's meeting) that he is alive and kicking, whilst many thinks former Ministry of Interior should oust him and get the lead of the quite-not-so angry crowds.