Silvio Berlusconi is still lurking in Italy’s background and, no doubt, plotting his comeback, despite his advancing years. Berlusconi still has his supporters too.
What is not that clear is why he still has so much support. Berlusconi was forced into resigning because he simply was not up to the job of sorting out Italy’s ‘spread’ crisis. Nor were he and his government much good at anything else, aside from creating custom made laws and amendments, largely to keep Berlusconi, and a few close friends, out of jail.
The current version of his party, led by one Angelino Alfano, seems to be a thinly disguised club designed to protect the Berlusconi dynasty’s extensive business interests. This, however, appears to escape Berlusconi fans.
Some Yearn for His Return
Some Italians miss Silvio Berlusconi so much they actually yearn for his return. One of the reasons given for giving Berlusconi another chance is that he has a nice smile. This says a lot about those who support Berlusconi.
Three Testing Questions for Berlusconi Fans
Should you ever happen upon one of Berlusconi’s faithful, and there are a few all over Italy, try asking them this question:
- What did Silvio Berlusconi do for Italy?
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.
Be prepared for long pauses, or deafening silence, but if you should come across someone who can give a constructive answer, please do let me know. From personal experience, such a question is likely to stump a fan of the B-man totally.
If you really want to poke the lions and tease a Berlusconi supporter, pose this question too:
- What did Silvio Berlusconi do for you?
Once again, expect a little silence. Actually, expect rather a lot of silence or for the subject to be swiftly changed.
To break the silence, and assuming the Berlusconi supporter has not found an excuse to be elsewhere, here is a final question which may well provoke some response:
- What did Silvio Berlusconi do for himself?
Even if the Berlusconi fan in front of you clams up, the question, and the others, may lead to some reflection, and poor Silvio may lose a supporter.
By the way, Berlusconi did do a few things for Italy which were not too negative. Do you know what they were? If you do, you are probably one up on the average Berlusconi fan 😉
