Silvio Berlusconi Hates Italy

Incredible, a Silvio Berlusconi is a prime minister who detests his own country.  Well that’s the impression one gets from the transcript of a telephone conversation between Silvio Berlusconi and Valter Lavitola, a newspaper editor.

The full story has been covered by John Hooper writing for the Guardian: Berlusconi vows to leave ‘sh**ty’ Italy in conversation recorded by police (the article contains strong language – used by Italy’s prime minister) in connection with extortion investigations.

Not only does Italy’s prime minister say he despises his country, he also states he wants to leave.  Maybe he’s planning to fly off to his villa in Antiqua.

Irony

The real irony of the comments made by Berlusconi arise from the fact that he has had a major hand in creating the country which he now apparently dislikes so intensely.

Perhaps if he had thought more carefully about what he was turning Italy into, or, more accurately, what he was perpetuating, he might not have ended up living in a country he hates.

Can any country put up with a prime minister, of all people, saying such things?  What kind of example does it set?

Such comments give the impression that the drawing up of effective austerity measures for Italy is not much of a priority for Berlusconi – who wants to leave.

Constitutional Contravention

It could be argued that Silvio Berlusconi has demonstrated his disloyalty to Italy’s constitution, more specifically, Article 54 (2):

Article 54  [Loyalty to the Constitution]
(1) All citizens have the duty to be loyal to the republic and to observe the constitution and the laws.
(2) Citizens entrusted with public functions must perform them with discipline and honor, and take an oath of office where required by law.

Stating that your country is a detestable place is not exactly a good example of loyalty to one’s constitution, now is it?

One would hope and expect that the prime minister of a country would be one of the most loyal citizens a country can have.

Calls for Silvio Berlusconi to make good his vow to leave Italy may well flow.

One Way Ticket

Perhaps Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano might like to buy Silvio Berlusconi a one way ticket to Antigua and hand deliver it personally.  Economy class – these are tough times in Italy.

As a matter of interest, there’s a one-way flight to Antigua leaving from Bergamo airport, close to Berlusconi’s home in Milan, at 11:10am today.  Price: €3097 via Alitalia – Italy’s national carrier – and British Airways.  I know, I checked on Skyscanner.it

The Camel’s Back

Will this be the final straw which breaks the camel’s back for Italians?  Will Berlusconi be forced out?   Knowing Italy, not necessarily, but that camel’s back must be getting mighty close to breaking point.

Berlusconi will laugh the incident off, no doubt.  He was angry and was letting off steam, or he was merely joking.  Some semi-plausible excuse will materialise.

Incidentally, as you will have noted from the Guardian article, a married couple allegedly involved in blackmailing Silvio Berlusconi was arrested yesterday – which tends to confirms suspicions that Italy’s prime minister’s bunga bunga lifestyle has left himself wide open to blackmail.  Not good for national security.