Veronica Lario, the wife of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, announced that she wants to leave her media mogul husband.
Despite recent claims by Italy’s number one politician that his wife had again fallen under the dubious influence of Italy’s dastardly commie press, it appears as though one Italian has had enough of the tanned supremo’s never ending antics.
The recent claim that Berlusconi was to field beauties and personalities as political candidates, along with another incident involving Silvio attending the party of one such beauty seems to have been the final straw for Ms Lario. It looks as though Berlusconi has been spending a little too much time looking after his business and political interests, and not bothering with family commitments. The net result is that he has riled his wife one final time.
Italy’s first couple were married in 1990, although they had been friends since 1980.
Then again, the whole thing could be a cleverly staged publicity stunt. And yet another way for Berlusconi to goad his traditional enemies.
Will He Blame the Commies?
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
The answer is a big ‘yes’, and if he does not sling the blame for his failed marriage firmly at the feet of Italy’s left, it will be a big surprise. The chances are that this marital problem will be used as part of another clever media strategy. You know, such as when right wingers used to go round saying ‘commies eat babies’. Now, the rhetoric will focus on ‘commies breaking up marriages’.
Dark clouds do tend to contain silver linings for media astute Berlusconi.
Will the Event Hobble his Political Interests?
Probably not, but a few digs along the lines of ‘If he can’t run his marriage, how can he run a whole county?’, might emerge. Media savvy Berlusconi will most probably make political capital out of this event, so it seems only fair that his opponents do the very same thing.
Ms Lario’s announcement of her probable separation only hit the Italian media yesterday. So far, there does not seem to have been an official reaction from the tanned one. It will come, of that there is no doubt, but what form it will take, is open to speculation.
An Interesting Divorce Battle
The eventual divorce proceedings will keep Italians riveted to their television sets, if, of course, the case ever reaches the courts.
As suggested above, the whole Lario/Berlusconi thing could merely be part of a sophisticated media strategy. Though this is unlikely, it is by no means impossible. And a wounded puppy would receive plenty of sympathetic votes. I can see certain headlines now: Berlusconi, the man who gave everything to his county – even his marriage.
It will be interesting to see how things shape up over the next few weeks.
