Italian General Election - Berlusconi on Trial

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:59 am

Italy, notorious for its love of changing governments (it’s had sixty-one since the Second World War) is going to the polls today following the fall of Romani Prodi’s centre-left Government in the Senate. The flamboyant conservative, Silvio Berlusconi, is aiming to make a comeback after having been ousted in the 2006 election. In his typical abrasive and un-PC style, he claimed that only ‘retards’ would fail to vote for him. He’s been enjoying a poll lead, and seems likely to win.

While Italian politics is always fun, the country does have a few serious issues. One is that the same men keep running place, and they just get older and older (the average Italian politician today is in their 70s). This reflects in part the aging Italian population, but also the moribund state of the country’s politics, with Italians having less confidence in their politicians than almost anyone else in the developed world. Another is that Berlusconi owns most of the country’s media, which reflects the clique nature of politics in Rome. Italy has the potential to be a global economic and military power in the same style as France or Great Britain, but is still struggling with the same basic domestic issues. Providing services for its growing cohort of elderly, one of the largest in Europe per head of population, for example. Or, in this election, fixing the garbage collection system in Naples.

A good illustration of the state of Italian politics is a man named Giulio Andreotti. He was first elected to Parliament in 1944, served as Prime Minister on seven separate occasions and remains a powerful figure in the Senate today. It’s unthinkable that a similar politician could be found in the Parliaments of the UK or Australia.

So while I always find Berlusconi entertaining, my expectations aren’t too high. Still, we may be surprised.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:14 am

To no-one’s great surprise, Berlusconi has cruised to victory, becoming Prime Minister of Italy for the third time (he had previously been PM from 1994 to 1995 and 2001 to 2006). The big news seems to be that:

1. The conservatives won very decisively – Berlusconi’s coalition defeated Veltroni’s 340 to 241 in the Chamber of the Deputies (36 seats to other parties) and 167 to 137 in the Senate (5 seats to other parties). Granted, Berlusconi will only be in power for as long as he can hold his three-party coalition together, but this Government might actually last until the next election.

2. The Communists are gone, for the first time since Italy became a functioning democracy. They were very influential in the 60s and 70s, arguably the most influential communist party in the western world, and a huge amount of effort was put into keeping them out of power.

Post by **Faramond** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:24 pm

I remember, as a child, reading the entry on communism in an encyclopedia and being shocked at the size of the communist parties in places like France and Italy.

So what would happen if one coalition won the Chamber of Deputies and the other won the Senate?

I'm glad Italy has a Senate. It seems appropriate.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:33 pm

Faramond wrote:So what would happen if one coalition won the Chamber of Deputies and the other won the Senate?

The Coalition which won the Chamber of Deputies would form Government. It also probably wouldn't last very long.

Post by **axordil** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:00 pm

Is there any doubt that without the Northern League Berlusconi couldn't win? How is he going to hold the government together and keep them happy?

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:24 am

axordil wrote:Is there any doubt that without the Northern League Berlusconi couldn't win? How is he going to hold the government together and keep them happy?

That's the big question at the moment. We'll have to wait and see.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 8:40 am

The Times has run this fairly in-depth hit piece on Berlusconi, which I found worth reading all the way through.

It illustrates one of my main concerns about proportional representation – party leaders can have too much control over who enters Parliament. In this case Berlusconi has put onto party lists (and thus into the Chamber of Deputies):

...three of his criminal-defence attorneys (who devise legislation that may help their client); his tax consultant; several co-defendants in various corruption cases; a long list of former and current executives in his many companies; columnists and editors of his many newspapers; and his personal physician.

...and...

a number of former starlets who gained fame in his TV empire. Antonio Di Pietro, a former prosecutor who heads one of the main opposition parties, publicly called Berlusconi un magnaccia, a colourful term for pimp, because of the time he’s spent finding work for “showgirls” rather than solving government problems.

So Berlusconi seems to have basically filled Parliament with his cronies and acolytes. Plus he controls most of the country’s media.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 4:39 am

A couple of interesting news items from Italy:

Apparently under pressure from the Northern League, the Italian Government has pushed through a tough ‘security package’ specifically targeted at illegal immigrants. One of its provisions is to allow citizen groups to take law enforcement into their own hands. This has basically allowed the far right to form militias and engage in vigilantism. I saw a picture of them in Macleans’ Magazine – some had even gone so far as to dress in khaki uniforms and black ties and were happily giving each other the nazi salute.

In the meantime, the Constitutional Court is considering the validity of a law passed by Berlusconi which makes him immune from criminal prosecution. If it sis truck down, he’ll be open to a whole range of charges for things like corruption and perverting the course of justice.

I’m starting to think the Italian Government must be just about the worst in the developed world.

Post by **River** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 4:55 am

Italy is one of the great mysteries of the world. Not even Italians understand how it functions. It just does. Somehow. Sort of.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:51 pm

The law has been struck down. Berlusconi has apparently blamed a left-wing conspiracy involving the media and the courts:

Mr Berlusconi said he had expected the ruling as the court was dominated by left-wing judges, and would not resign.

"We have a very organised minority of red [left-wing] magistrates who use justice for a political fight," he told reporters outside his residence in Rome.

"We must govern for five years with or without the law."

"The trials that they will hurl at me in Milan are real farces... but we'll carry on," he said, accusing the court, the media and the president of favouring the left.

"I will spend some hours away from taking care of the government and refute them all as liars," he said. "These things invigorate me, they invigorate Italians. Long live Italy, long live Berlusconi!"

link

Post by **Inanna** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:08 pm

Is he insane?

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:49 pm

He's certainly grandiose.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:29 pm

Mahima wrote:Is he insane?

It seems more likely that he just has the mental age of a five-year-old.

Wikipedia on Berlusconisms

Two days after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, devastating the capital city of the Abruzzo region and causing more than 290 deaths, Berlusconi said to n-tv that the people left homeless by the earthquake should view their experience as a camping weekend. In that occasion he asked woman councillor Lia Beltrami, "Can I fondle you?" on a tour of an earthquake site.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:02 pm

As you all probably know by now, three days ago Berlusconi was attacked by a protestor in Milan, who struck him in the face with a marble model of the city’s cathedral. He was hospitalized with a broken nose and two broken teeth.

He is now in hospital for the fourth successive night, raising fears over his health. I have no love for Berlusconi, but I can’t condone assaulting elected leaders like that (admittedly the attacker was mentally ill, so this wasn’t a political statement). I felt the same way about the Iraqi shoe-thrower, although fortunately George W. Bush was a younger and more agile man than Silvio Berlusconi and a show would do less damage than a chunk of alabaster.

Still, this might have long-term political consequences, notably forcing the retirement of Berlusconi. What will happen then? Will we see an Italian revival or more of the same unstable septuagenarian-led governments?

Post by **River** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:11 pm

I've been a bit baffled, myself. First that his security was so crappy and second he was even hospitalized with the injuries described - I broke a tooth, tore my lip, broke my nose, and bruised up my face real good in a bike wreck and spent a couple hours in the ER. I even showed up for work the next day (no one told me not to; I think the doctor just assumed I wouldn't be up to it). It didn't even hurt that much. But I am also much younger and much less important than Berlusconi. However, I am wondering if maybe the injuries weren't more extensive than has been let on?

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:16 pm

Being hit hard in the face could damage the brain. Something like a slow bleed might not show up for a while after the incident.

Post by **Túrin Turambar** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:18 pm

River wrote:I've been a bit baffled, myself. First that his security was so crappy and second he was even hospitalized with the injuries described - I broke a tooth, tore my lip, broke my nose, and bruised up my face real good in a bike wreck and spent a couple hours in the ER. I even showed up for work the next day (no one told me not to; I think the doctor just assumed I wouldn't be up to it). It didn't even hurt that much. But I am also much younger and much less important than Berlusconi. However, I am wondering if maybe the injuries weren't more extensive than has been let on?

You and I probably wouldn't be hospitalised for days with injuries like that, but then we aren't 73-year-olds with existing health problems. Besides, I imagine getting hit in the face with enough force to break both nose and teeth suggests the possibility of shock and concussion. Certainly having him spend a couple of days in hospital doesn't surprise me, although obviously having his stay extended to three and then four nights does suggest that he's worse than first thought.

Post by **Nin** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:31 pm

I think he is using the pretexte to have another face-lifting without being forced to take time off...

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:22 pm

He does strike me as a vain man. Maybe it's simpler, though: maybe he doesn't want his face to be seen until the swelling goes down.

Post by **Nin** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:39 am

He has admitted to several operations of cosmetic surgery already. So I think, it's just that much.
And grabbing pity from a drama queen.

(I strongly dislike Mr. Berlusconi and think he is pretty close to fascism)