Berlusconi wants to go to jail, if sentenced... can you believe that?

Saturday, 27 July 2013. Talking to Italian newspaper Libero Quotidiano's director Maurizio Belpietro, Silvio Berlusconi pledges to avoid fleeing the country or resort to house arrest and sit in jail, if he is convicted on Tuesday.

Berlusconi: worried, indifferent or just worn out?

In a couple of days former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will be facing a definitive sentence, as Italy's Supreme Court meets to examine fraud charges against the politician.

Should his war against the judiciary (and his 20-year-long political career) end up this way, he won't follow his former mentor Bettino Craxi's path and leave the country as an exile, but he will try and experience the prison's life, even though – being almost 78 – he could ask to be granted house arrest (and we know that Berlusconi's houses aren't that bad, frequented by young women and hosting merry and gay parties. I mean merry and joyful parties.).

No more bunga-bunga for Silvio Berlusconi?

At least this is what he told to Maurizio Belpietro, boss of Libero Quotidiano, a rightist newspaper (apparently Silvio Berlusconi had a say in Belpietro appointment, back in 2009, so we might also call it a Berlusconish daily).

An interview? Not at all, a note from Berlusconi's Palazzo Grazioli - his residence and HQ in Rome - denies it, it was a “free interpretation of the sense of a colloquy”. Do you understand this? And is it a real oath or just a gimmick to try and gain a bit of sympathy from the public? Who knows.

Anyhow in the “colloquy” or “chat” Mr Berlusconi went on saying that he had no direct role in the management of Mediaset, he was absolutely unaware of any wrongdoings or irregularities. He knows nothing about TVs, doesn't he?

Do the judges subscribe to that? Not so sure, but it will turn out pretty soon, and a few answers will be answered on Tuesday. Amongst them, will Berlusconi's political persona survive in order to relaunch Forza Italia party in September, as planned? Quite a few Italian will be holding their breath until then.