Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's law that grants him immunity from prosecution has been overturned. Berlusconi, a media tycoon who uses his control over the press to stay in office (I've met dozens of Italian activists who uttered the improbable phrase, "Thank God for Rupert Murdoch, Berlusconi can't bully him," which should give you an idea of what sort of person he is), passed the immunity law, arguing that he couldn't govern effectively if he could be sued or criminally prosecuted for wrongdoing. Several pending lawsuits will now go forward.
Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister of Italy, suffered a setback yesterday when Italy's Constitutional Court overturned a law granting him immunity from all prosecution while in office. The court, composed of fifteen members, five of which are appointed by the Prime Minister, voted 9-6 to lift the immunity.
Berlusconi, vehemently opposed to the decision, had said immunity would allow him to govern without "distraction" from the courts.
Berlusconi is no stranger to controversy and political fights. This decision nearly guarantees that his many opponents will not be retreating in the near future. Similarly, it is unlikely that Berlusconi or his many allies and assets will back down.
The Prime Minister owns large advertising, publicity and publishing companies. He holds significant interests in cinema, insurance and banking firms. Additionally, he owns the soccer club AC Milan.
His opponents are spread across Italy, Europe and the entire Western world. They include some of the most powerful media voices on the planet. For instance, Rupert Murdoch has had direct legal and political clashes with Berlusconi.
The court decision points to the possibility of Berlusconi being prosecuted in at least three cases and possibly more. At least one case charges him with corruption and bribery.
"I'm the universal record-holder for the number of trials in the entire history of man," said Berlusconi in July 2008, "and also of other creatures who live on other planets."
Critics have long charged that the Prime Minister holds undue, illegal influence over the Italian media. Mediaset, a company founded by Berlusconi, comprises three television stations and holds half the national viewing audience.
RAI, one of two "competing" Italian broadcasters, is state owned. On several occasions, Berlusconi critics employed by the channel have been fired, causing an international uproar but making few waves in the national press.
The Economist, a UK newsmagazine which has had memorable clashes with Berlusconi throughout his life, alleges that the Prime Minister exerts influence over 90% of all national television broadcasting in Italy.
In response to the judicial decisions, Berlusconi accused the court, the media and the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano, of favoring the left-leaning liberals over himself, a self-described "center-right" politician.
Approval ratings for the Prime Minister have dropped below 50% but most observers agree that he is in no danger of being replaced even though several opposition members have called on him to step down in response to the decision.
In 2004, three years after Berlusconi took office, the freedom of the Italian press was downgraded from "Free" to "Partly Free" in the Freedom of the Press 2004 Global Survey done by Freedom House, an American democracy advocacy and research organization. This was due to the Prime Minister's influence over RAI coupled with his private holdings.
Reporters Without Borders, an international freedom of press advocate, has threatened to add Berlusconi to "our list of Predators of Press Freedom," a first for Europe. Jean-Francois Julliard, the R.W.B. Chairman, asserted that Italy ranks last in press freedom in Europe.
In response to the many controversies which dogged him, the Prime Minister earlier this year declared, "I am tempted to direct and strong actions against the media because of their disinformation about me."
This remark was interpreted by many as "declaring war on the press." As the statement spread around the world on the strength of the internet, responses included anger and disbelief that the man who controls a large portion of the Italian media would threaten "strong actions" against it.
Some opponents accused Berlusconi of being a fascist in the style of "Il Duce" Benito Mussolini. Several have taken to calling the current Prime Minister "Il Douche." Berlusconi has not commented on the nickname.
Can some Italians give me their 2 cents here? How is he viewed over there?
Europeans and Americans with knowledge of the situation would be appreciated, too! I've read up on him (wikipedia, the vast number of articles about him in the international english press) but I feel lacking in knowledge on what people there actually think.
lol wow i never knew he was such an ass lol controlling the media and all that other stuff too. and how come that law took so long to get overturned thats pretty ridiculous.
This was not the first law of this kind to be overturned. I don't know what would stop him from making a new law to make him immune. If only to buy time.
Also, some accusations might become time-barred. If not, he can still appeal. Or reach out of court agreements or be released on bail (he's a billionaire after all!). If worst comes to worst and he really is convicted, I'm sure he can easily find ways to be declared too old and sick to be able to go to jail (He's 73 years old and possibly almost 80 by that time!).
the italian judicial system seems to be absolutely crazy when it comes to statues of limitation. they continue during trial so if one side is able to delay long enough, they cannot be punished.
am i getting that right? it seems bizarre and set up so that the best legal team wins (even more so than other legal systems, where this is still obviously the case)
That was long overdue. Berlusconi is a rotten thief who would never have been elected without his control over the media. He has had alliances with neo fascist parties (one of them led Mussolini's grand daughter), he is the biggest pig you can think of, and has always used politics for his personnal profit. Anyway, even if he is indicted, I seriously doubt he will convicted, let alone forced to resign. Politics and justice are rotten in Italy. On a side note, the situation is the very same in France. Our President of the Republic (which is the equivalent of President of the Council in Italia, as Italia's President of the Republic is basically useless) has total immunity while in office. Our former President Jacques Chirac benefited from this (he refused to testify in a trial). Anyway, our prosecution system is under direct orders of the executive power, so both Chirac and Sarkozy had serious cases against them closed. God, I hate my country...
On October 08 2009 20:27 Uraeus wrote: That was long overdue. Berlusconi is a rotten thief who would never have been elected without his control over the media. He has had alliances with neo fascist parties (one of them led Mussolini's grand daughter), he is the biggest pig you can think of, and has always used politics for his personnal profit. Anyway, even if he is indicted, I seriously doubt he will convicted, let alone forced to resign. Politics and justice are rotten in Italy.
This. He basically controlled all the media, from newspapers to television, and used them to convince people he was better than any other politician in Italy and to make them think he was innocent in every trial he was ever in. The problem is, most of the italian people believed him, and now he's ruining our already decaying country, crafting ad-personam laws, accusing whoever oppones him to be a communist and trying to get a hold on what he lacks to fully "dominate" the medias to grant him some kind of immunity. This time he got busted, thank god.
He does not "control" the media - he directly owns much of it in Italy. This is a good sign from the supreme court, but as Scorch said above, I don't expect him to ever go to jail.
His attitude towards governing reminds me a lot of Nixon and Bush - that whoever is in charge is the law and can do no wrong.
He's the second richest man in Italy (the richest being the dude who invented Nutella - go figure), so it's no wonder he is able to maintain his powerhold on the country.
Like many Italian men I admire his business and subsequent political succcess. I think he has every right to surround himself with beautiful women a quarter of his age, and attend their birthday parties or shower them with expensive gifts - or whatever it is old men do for young women.
On October 08 2009 23:43 Milton Friedman wrote: Like many Italian men I admire his business and subsequent political succcess. I think he has every right to surround himself with beautiful women a quarter of his age, and attend their birthday parties or shower them with expensive gifts - or whatever it is old men do for young women.
lol.
Ya a president fucking whores and 16 years old girls is FINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
On October 08 2009 23:43 Milton Friedman wrote: Like many Italian men I admire his business and subsequent political succcess. I think he has every right to surround himself with beautiful women a quarter of his age, and attend their birthday parties or shower them with expensive gifts - or whatever it is old men do for young women.
He sure is a charismatic and successful man, and personally I think whether a married man wants to go whoring is his own business. But what about the legal issues? With the sheer amount of accusations against him, it's hard to believe every single one is false. Would anybody other than Berlusconi still be a free man?
Ya a president fucking whores and 16 years old girls is FINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
This is unfair: its not whores and 16 year olds, its whores who are 16 years old. Once they hit their 20s he sets them up for some other career (one of his TV stations, or more recently European parliament). C'mon now...
Is the new Economist already out? I'm still reading "After the Storm."
This is a surprise to me. I've known about his problems, and subsequently Italy's problems, for a while now but I never expected this law to be overturned. Go Italy reform!
Edit: Yeah, the newest print edition is "Wake up Europe!" for October 10th. When is this article from?
On October 09 2009 05:34 Durak wrote: Is the new Economist already out? I'm still reading "After the Storm."
This is a surprise to me. I've known about his problems, and subsequently Italy's problems, for a while now but I never expected this law to be overturned. Go Italy reform!
Edit: Yeah, the newest print edition is "Wake up Europe!" for October 10th. When is this article from?
i wrote the article today, it's new. it's not from the economist (i suppose i didnt make that clear, sorry). the cover that i linked was only to show the economist's attitude toward him - it's quite old. they've been after him for a decade at least.
Yeah, I only read half-way through the article and assumed it was from The Economist. I suppose that's a nice compliment. If I had made it to, "The Economist, a UK newsmagazine which has had memorable clashes with Berlusconi throughout his life..." I would have known.
EPT![[image loading]](http://craphound.com/images/2270001931_9a60f43b68.jpg)
If I had made it to, "The Economist, a UK newsmagazine which has had memorable clashes with Berlusconi throughout his life..." I would have known.
