untitled design (1)

Learn Italian online

Convict Berlusconi’s Italy Blackmail Attempt Bears Fruit

Berlusconi expulsion vote

After being convicted of tax fraud and setting up slush funds by all three levels of Italian justice including Italy’s highest court, ex-prime minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi told Italy to forgive him or he’d topple Italy’s government. The threat amounted to blackmail.

Initially, the idea of pardoning Berlusconi or cooking up a custom law granting an amnesty for the tanned man was scotched, but now the tide has turned and Italy’s political class has all but decided that all are not equal in the eyes of Italy’s law, despite what the Boot’s constitution may say.

With every day that passes, it is looking more and more as if Berlusconi will be allowed to get away with breaking Italy’s laws and will be allowed to stay in Italy’s parliament. Even supposedly serious Italian politician and former prime minister Mario Monti has now jumped on the save Silvio bandwagon.

Forgiving Berlusconi will make an utter and total mockery of Italy’s constitution, not to mention the nation’s justice system. Italy’s politicians do not seem to care one jot about this.

If Italy’s politicians do actually forgive Berlusconi, Italy’s credibility at international level will sink even lower than it was when the bunga bunga revelations surrounding Italy’s then prime minister came to the fore. Indeed, the bunga bunga case is still wending its way through Italy’s courts, and other cases against Berlusconi are also being heard by Italy’s courts. Perhaps all the Berlusconi cases should be ceased forthwith – he’ll only be pardoned for sleeping with an under age prostitute anyway.

The madness of Italy’s political classes really knows no bounds. Even an anti-corruption law which bans convicted politicians from standing for election may be declared unconstitutional – solely to save Berlusconi.

think in italian logo dark bg 1

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.

Should Berlusconi, who is to take his case before Europe’s court of human rights, be granted a pardon, and amnesty or whatever, it’ll be a slap in the face for the millions of Italians who do try to pay all of Italy’s taxes.

Letting off Berlusconi will send a message that crime and corruption not only pays in Italy, it pays handsomely.

Will the majority of Italy’s political class see sense and kick Berlusconi out of politics? Probably not. Their opinion is that Italy’s politicians should be allowed to be corrupt, dishonest, incompetent, to flout laws and make a mockery of democracy and of the vast majority of Italians. Beppe Grillo is right, they should all be sacked.

Even considering letting off Berlusconi is disgusting – he’s the person at the root of many of Italy’s current problems. If he is saved , it will be a disgrace. Italians will be unable to hold their heads high when outside of Italy. The damage to Italy’s public image may well be irreparable.

Will Italians let themselves be blackmailed in this way? It looks like it, even if 84% of them did not vote for Berlusconi at the last elections.

One thing is eminently clear, Italy needs new leaders and it needs them fast. Will the Italian Martin Luther King please stand up now?

Most Popular

World Caffarel Day 2009

Caffarel produces an alternative choco-hazelnut spread to that most famous of all choco-nut spreads: Nutella. I think Caffarel’s upmarket choco-nut cream is better than Nutella, as I’ve mentioned before.

The Best Selling Nikon D7000 Digital SLR

Digital SLR Cameras for Photographing Italy

Italy is incredibly photogenic, and really is a photographer’s delight. This is something I know about being a keen amateur photographer myself. However, if you want to create really memorable photographs of Italy from which you can create framed prints to hang on your wall, you could do with a digital SLR.

Why a digital SLR and not a smaller more compact point and shoot?

Categories

Related Posts

We Are Armonight

Armonight Rocks Around Europe

This weeks feature on Italian music and musicians takes a look at Italian rock band Armonight which is set to rock its way around Europe

How Time Changes

How Time Changes

In November, Italy, according to Time, was run by the Man Behind the World’s Most Dangerous Economy – Silvio Berlusconi.  Today, in Time’s opinion, Italy

Berlusconi’s Wife is Fuming, again

This is a hoot! Berlusconi’s latest election gimmick is to field pretty young ladies and television personalties as candidates.. Most will come from his channels, one suspects.

Italy’s Mafia Could become an Explosive Problem

Coming back on the train from Genoa yesterday, I read our friend Cristina’s copy of Internazionale, an Italian news magazine which contains articles from major media sources from around the world that have been translated in to Italian.