Berlusconi Stacks Parliament, Cabinet With Beauty Queens, Actresses

Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, has always had a particular interest in pretty women with experience in entertainment. Now with elections coming up in June, he is inviting them into his parliament and even his Cabinet, as Times Online reports:

Even by his standards, though, Mr Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, has chosen a striking roster of candidates to give his party a new face for the European Parliament elections in June, including a Big Brother star and a Miss Italy contestant.

To prepare for Strasbourg, the prospective women MEPs were given a political crash course by the cream of Italian politics. At the headquarters of the centre-right People of Liberty (PdL) party they received a seminar in European history and current affairs, Nato, the European Central Bank and the IMF from Franco Frattini, the Foreign Minister, Ignazio La Russa, the Defence Minister, and Mr Berlusconi.

Berlusconi walking with two women, including Sozio, at his Sardinia Villa.

Read the full article at Times Online, or keep scrolling down for photos of Berlusconi's new inner circle of women.

The following women have been chosen to represent the fresh face for the Parliament:

Angela Sozio, the former contestant on the Italian version of "Big Brother"

Italian actress Eleonora Gaggioli:

Italian soap opera star Camilla Ferranti:

Miss Italy 2000 contestant, Barbara Matera, who became an announcer for the state TV station Rai.

And, Mara Carfagna, the former topless model who became Minister for Equal Opportunities two years ago.

Comments

[KOisGod]

Arrested adolescence I see, isn't just an American affliction.

[ZimboChick]

So Italy is a joke after all?

[blaharumph]

tummy!

[ndem]

All I see when I look at Berlesconi are hair plugs.

[blogattelle]

berlusconi's italy is exactly as hill valley in "back to the future part II"

[Nanni]

I never liked Berlusconi! he is to Italians what Bush was to us. As far as Katanga's comment is concerned I would like to ask him: "How would you feel if people would make comments like the one you made about Italians based on the fact that we had Bush as president for 8 years? Of course in our case it would be Mc. Donald's instead of Spaghetti...... by the way your spelling of spaghetti was wrong.

[KATANGA]

Berlusconi a low grade S. O. B. head of state whose like matches that of Benito Mussolini. Well, this can only happen in a land where the most inhabitants eat nothing but " Speghetti" pasta!

[Lee Andrew]

Sorry, he's not the head of state. He's the prime minister.
Italy has a president.

Presidente della Repubblica Italiana, segnor Giorgio Napolitano - not a powerful one but nonetheless it has one and he is the HEAD OF STATE.

Also he lives in Palazzo del Quirinale which in my opinion - as I have toured many - is one of the finest in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quirinal_Palace

[KATANGA]

Yeah...whatever, Prof. So what? Well, he's still a Benito Mussolini S.O.B!

[openhand]

Semantics. The issue is power and when you have a Prime Minister, then he is the most powerful. The President is ceremonial like the Monarchy in Britain, we both know this, let go.

[kbella]

I agree with your first statement, as I live in Rome and hate Berlusconi. However, what do you have against spaghetti?

[Defunct]

can't do any worse than what they have now.

[Kaviraj]

UNBELIEVABLE THE REACTIONS HERE. You all seem to be unable to look past the facts - they had to go through a crash-course in politics? Oh my, that will be an effective cabinet! (Not) All you see is pretty airheads and you immediately go gaga. Poor guys!

[RobertHenryEller]

Berlusconi goes John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin not one better but six better.

[roma1]

oops I meant, the "Partito Democratico"

[roma1]

I live in Italy and Berlusconi is an embarrassment to most Italians. The problem is that they recycle the same old politicians. The other side, the Politico Democratico, is worse and has the same issue as the Republican party in the U.S. Offering the same old c/r/a/p that no one wants and the only defense they have is criticizing the other side with no solutions. The Italian people are some of the smartest in the world but unfortunately they are represented by a clown. Americans know what that's like...

[kbella]

I live in Italy too, but I would say that the Italians got what they asked for...they voted OVERWHELMINGLY for Berlusconi's party in the last election. This was no "close call" election like Bush.

[JimBozo]

Hey, it worked for McCain, didn't it????? Never mind.

[PSM42]

Una duce. Una voce.

[tel8034]

"To prepare for Strasbourg, the prospective women MEPs were given a political crash course by the cream of Italian politics. At the headquarters of the centre-right People of Liberty (PdL) party they received a seminar in European history and current affairs, Nato, the European Central Bank and the IMF from Franco Frattini, the Foreign Minister, Ignazio La Russa, the Defence Minister, and Mr Berlusconi."

I can hear the wheels turning in the heads of the Palinistas .................. Berlusconi may soon be asked to add a new student from Alaska to the class.

[Kalitipo]

JUST LIKE CRASH PROGRAMS WERE GIVEN TO LAW STUDENTS OF PAT ROBERTSON UNIVERSITY........... ANY FARMILIARITY?

[RRonin]

STACKED? Oh please!