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...

People come and go from Silvio Berlusconi's villa in Arcore

In September – allegedly on 9/9 - the Italian Senate is due to vote about Berlusconi's “decadenza” (this is the world used by the media in Italy, which literally means “decline” or “decay”) that would lead to the ejection of the 76-year-old billionaire from the Parliament, and his supporters are grasping at straws in order to keep him alive.

The amnesty (or official pardon) – a widespread practice in Italian politics – seemed to be the preferred way out, even though there are a few drawbacks: A) Silvio Berlusconi should admit wrongdoing (if he did not do anything wrong, how can they pardon him?), B) somebody has to to grant the pardon, namely the Head of State Giorgio Napolitano.

Berlusconi is expected to start serving the jail sentence, either under house arrest or doing social work (he forgot how he declared that he would not avoid sitting in jail...), in mid-October. To avoid punishment he's been trying anything, from whining to fighting.

All this is creating a little bit of conflict between Berlusconi's party (PdL) and its ally, former arch-enemy PD (Democratic Party), which – again – is divided between those who want to finish off the former prime minister, and those who want to preserve the current coalition government.

PM Enrico Letta ready for the fight?

And all this is leading to the actual conundrum which, according to Berlusconi's staunch defender Daniela Santanchè, will lead to the fall of the cabinet (prime minister Enrico Letta should prepare to war...).

But this would mean that Berlusconi will fall as well, isn't it? And – in the end – the only way out could be another election, where Beppe Grillo's M5S could prove to be the winner... Only time will tell!