Silvio Berlusconi Insults

As many will be aware, gossip surrounding Italy’s current prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi’s activities, both public and personal, seem to be making the headlines at the moment, and not just in Italy.

Silvio Berlusconi - facing new allegations

Recent events in Iran have tended to overshadow Berlusconi related news somewhat, but the country’s top politician is still mentioned several times daily here in Italy.  Ironically Berlusconi has been criticising the Italian press for writing gossip inspired rubbish.  Why is this ironic?  Well, it has to be said that the Italian television channels which he founded were, and still are, quite gossip oriented.  As far as Silvio seems to be concerned, gossip is fine when it is selling lots of advertisements on his own television channels, but a distinct no-no when he is the subject of all the tittle tattle.

The gossip surrounding Berlusconi’s alleged misuse of official aircraft, which sprang from chatter caused by the release of photographs of goings on at Berlusconi’s Sardinian palace, led to Italy’s prime minister’s use of official airplanes being investigated.  Now though, the aircraft misuse accusations case has been dropped.

Just when you might think Berlusconi fuelled gossip might be about to drop from the front pages of Italian newspapers, yet another potential scandal involving Italy’s premier is starting to break the surface in Italy.  This affair will probably ensure that Silvio Berlusconi continues to appear in the Italian media spotlight for a good few weeks to come.  Then there is my six year old son’s latest insult.

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Silvio Berlusconi Versus La Repubblica

Italy’s tanned media tycoon and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is not at all happy with Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

Mr Blameless

La Repubblica, which forms part of the L’Espresso group, is gleefully digging up the dirt on Berlusconi related goings on, and has challenged Berlusconi to answer 10 questions concerning his curious relationship with wannabe showgirl or politician from Naples, Noemi Letizia.

Then, right in the midst of all the goings on surrounding Silvio Berlusconi’s surprise appearance at Noemi’s 18th birthday party, plus the announcement by his estranged wife Veronica Lario that she wants a divorce from Berlusconi comes the verdict in the Mills corruption case, which clearly insinuates that Silvio Berlusconi is guilty of corruption.  Indeed, without a law which was passed to guarantee him immunity from prosecution while he is in public office, Berlusconi would, in the first instance, have been found guilty of corruption.

Of course Silvio Berlusconi, as usual, hotly denies any skulduggery. … Continue Reading

Clowns in Cool Britannia

I don’t know.  I think politicians should be people we look up to.  People who set an example to us all, not crooked rip off merchants.

Cool Britannia?

Now, it may come as some surprise to hear that I’m not on about the latest corruption scandal flooding the pages of the Italian newspapers.  No, instead I’m on about the dishonest actions of members of parliament in Great Britain who have been exploiting rather flexible expenses regulations to the absolute maximum, and them some.

These erstwhile representatives of the people have been literally, and excuse the vulgarity, taking the piss.  The Telegraph newspaper has been revealing all via a series of articles which have caused one almighty uproar in soggy Britain.

It turns out that Britain’s political leaders have been making exaggerated expense claims for just about anything and everything, including toilet seats, would you believe.  One impoverished English MP apparently claimed around 2000 pounds sterling for cleaning the bloody moat around his country house!  Sounds like the stuff of farce. … Continue Reading

Romeo and the Politicians

Before the infamous ‘mani pulite’ clean up which took place back in the early to mid nineties, it was said that Italy’s politicians had Italy’s entrepreneurs eating out of their hands.

Now it is the other way round.  At least that is what some are saying after yet another corruption scandal has come to light in the Living Museum.  This time it was an Italian entrepreneur who was manipulating politicians to his own ends, for starters he was after a 400 million Euro maintenance contract down in Naples. … Continue Reading

Disregard for Human Life in Tuscany

Lucca, Tuscany

How low can you go?  How about ‘adjusting’ the toxic emissions of an incinerator plant?  No, surely this could not happen.

Well, it did down near Pietrasanta not far from picturesque Lucca in Italy.

The fiddle came from the very top and has probably led to increased levels of cancer and other health related anomalies in the area. … Continue Reading

A Fallen Angel

Giuliano Tavaroli, who is, as I mentioned in my ‘The Pirelli and Telecom Italia Mafia Godfather‘ post, the man lifting the lid on complex corruption scandal being revealed in Italy at this very moment. Well, Tavaroli used to be one of the late General Dalla Chiesa’s main men.

General Dalla Chiesa, for those who don’t know, was the man behind investigations into Italy’s red brigades terrorist groups back in 1970s Italy. Subsequently, the good general turned his attention to Italy’s age old mafia problem. Alas, this honourable gentleman must have got rather too close for comfort to certain people, and Della Chiesa was gunned down in a mafia arranged ambush in Palermo way back in 1982. … Continue Reading