Mr. Berlusconi, Why You Don't Answer the Press?

There is a topic in Italy which is beginning to interest the rest of the world: the President of the Council of Minister's proclivity to lie to the public. Furthermore, when he is asked about uncomfortable truths, he not only continues to lie or refuses to answer, but also vehemently counterattacks the press who dared to ask him certain questions.

This confrontation is currently underway with La Repubblica, the second major Italian daily newspaper property of Gruppo Espresso. Its only fault is to assume that the chief of government is accountable and coherent. It does not matter if the president is a womanizer, or even worse if he humiliates his wife: what counts is that our president speaks the truth in front of the nation. «Communists», is the adjective full of disdain with which Berlusconi reacts.

So, today Italians should protest, a little further, the scandal that came out a couple of weeks ago regarding the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, involved with a teenager. This is the scandal that has caused his wife to seek a divorce.

La Repubblica, instead, has risen as a strong voice on the case, and after a couple of weeks since the scandal began, addressed Berlusconi with ten questions that have, as of yet, gone unanswered.

These are the questions from La Repubblica:

1) When and how did Berlusconi meet Elio Letizia, the father of the 18 year-old Naomi?

2) How many times did he meet Mr. Letizia? Where, and for what occasion? (Berlusconi said that has been a friend of Letizia for many years. At the beginning of the scandal, however, he indicated him as the driver of former prime minister Bettino Craxi. This assertion was immediately denied by Craxi's son).

3) How can he describe the reasons of his friendship with Elio Letizia?

4) A few days following the scandal, Berlusconi tried to justify himself during a TV show, saying that he met the girl's father to discuss the candidates for the next European and administrative elections. Yet, he had always affirmed before that he was not having anything to do with the names of the future candidates. How is it that he was discussing these political matters with the girl's father? Elio Letizia, is not inscribed in any political party or unions, nor is he influential in the Southern Italy society.

5) When did Berlusconi meet Noemi Letizia for the first time? (the scandal started when he arrived at Noemi's 18th birthday party and she declared to the Press that she and "Papi" (Daddy), were seeing each other for at least two years in Rome and Milano). In other words, they were seeing each other while she was a minor. After these public comments, Berlusconi's wife, Veronica Lario, asked for divorce and declared that "she cannot live anymore married to a man who goes out with minors.")

6) How many times did Berlusconi and Noemi Letizia meet and where?

7) Does Berlusconi take care of the education, life and future of Noemi? Does he give financial support to her family?

8) If it is true, as Noemi has declared, that Berlusconi had made her understand that he could help her in a career as actress or as politician? This instrumental use of the woman's body does not impoverish the quality of democracy of a country, as other members of his own coalition have declared?

9) Veronica Lario reported that her husband "goes out with minors". Are there other minors whom the prime minister meets?

10) Veronica Lario has also declared "I have tried to help my husband, I have begged the people who is surrounding him to do the same, as one does with a sick person. It was all to no avail." How is the premier's health?

Italians are genius in the art of surviving, but even better in the art of pretending. Since the Roman times, we have been unique in many different disciplines, some quite world renown. We were clever also in conquering other countries and populations, and in distant times we have produced political heavyweights such as Machiavelli and subsequent politicians of value.

But today, in a world where communication has no borders, how can a Prime Minister of a Western country not publicly answer to the Press ?

America, please help!

Laura Kiss
[e-mail]

 

Comments

[gemelli]

tp://www.repubblica.it/2009/06/sezioni/politica/elezioni-in-europa/anime-belle/anime-belle.html

The answer is above

[swimviking]

today Berlusconi said that the Italian left influences not only the press in Italy, but ALSO the international press.

the Italian left is very very powerful, on an international level.

:-)

[kbella]

Hahahahaha, and somehow they lost the last election. The next thing he will say is that the left purposely lost the last election in order to humiliate him or something...he is incredible.

[MikeLicht]

Young stuff for Berlusconi? Much ado about nothing. The age of consent in Italy is 16 (14 on Saturday night).

See:

http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/princess-and-frog-italian-style/

[Fabrizio Bernardi]

I lived in US for five years and every time I was talking about Italy and the politics there I was ashame of it. Berlusconi is dangerous, but what is more dangerous is the Berlusconism, a way of thinking that is becoming "normal" here. No values, no ethics, no sense of state. What most matters is my self, money and success, no matter what you do to reach it. The Berlusconism is hiding itself behind the "values" of Catholicism just for electoral interests. It says that the family is the center of its political efforts, but then they get divorced, they around themselves with young and pretty girls promising them to have success in the show business or in politics. Morality and truth are something unknown for the Berlusconism. Not all the causes of it are inside Italy and not all Italians (yet!) are supporting the Berlusconism, but the opposition to it is getting weaker and weaker. Please, spread our thoughts and feeling everywhere and help us! Say to your leaders to not give the hands to Berlusconi, to never trust him, especially if he is behind!

[FranzBlog]

What I think is that in no way Mr. Berlusconi did something against the law. Joining a party is not against law. Being friend with a girl is not against the law even if the girl is under 18. The only reason why media is asking Mr. Berlusconi to explain about his friendship with this girl is to make people think there was something else under the carpet, to say so.
I think all this storm is really out of size, in a moment like this, when many other problems are disrupting our life. From financial situation to politic situation, not to speak about cultural crisis, I think that asking a man what he was doing in a party is a real waste of time.

[kbella]

He used planes paid for by the government to transport something like 50 young women (think 18-25, and keep in mind he is 72) out to his villa in Sardegna. THAT is against the law. Also, he has broken the law many times, but he is so powerful he can buy off the judges. He even had a law passed that says that during his time as Presidente del Consiglio he can't be charged or investigated for any crime. If that doesn't make you uncomfortable, I don't know what does.

[ProfessorDuh]

Il Duce II.

[Laura Kiss]

exactly! ... so sad.... and dangerouse...

[swimviking]

I too am Italian, and I agree, many Italians are being brainwashed by Berlusconi's media.
He presents his policies as: I will take care of you, and no one will have to pay any taxes.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, even when Tremonti is doing the calculations.

[Lorenzo Stanzani]

Yeah, I hope that some one in the world will invade us, but soon, hurry up! save us from Mr B.(ean) and from who votes him... and once you are here, save us from all politicians... and from us! Please civil Country like Sweden, Togo, Kirghizistan, Portugal, HELP US!!!! Europe where are you?!?!?

[Laura Kiss]

may be the readers will think that you are exagerating... but you are not!!!! Only living in this country one can understand the "lazyness" of the italians.... mamma mia....

[Pikaya]

A journalist asks him a delicate question about something or other: he/she gets a tongue lash for being biased against him. His wife dumps him: he accuses her of being taken in by leftwing rags that pretend to be newspapers. But please, he says, respect my privacy. Two days later, he appears on a TV talk show where is given almost two hours to tell his side of the story by a grim-looking sycophantic host. After that, when others ask him any question: Buzz off! You are just part of the conspiracy against me. Parliament is too slow in approving laws: he says he should cut the number of MPs from 630 to around 100 (like in the U.S.A., Sic.) by a popular referendum. Sadly, Berlusconi confuses his private affairs/interests with those of the nation and thinks because his coalition gets 45 % of the vote (and 55 % of the seats); he can do as he pleases. Why do Italians vote for him? Control of the media, a political culture that encourages sycophantic behaviour (getting on the winning horse, something that is not exclusively Italian), and a political opposition that is too divided, ineffectual, not very squeaky clean itself or simply kept off the air. Povera Italia!

[kbella]

You have described the situation perfectly! Nice synopsis!

[Pikaya]

Comment part 2:
And when the law says one thing he does not like or cannot do, he gets around it or changes it. TV broadcasters cannot own newspapers? He puts his brother in charge of his newspaper (Il Giornale which is very economical about criticizing its master and real owner). The law says that companies cannot present false balance-sheets; he gets it changed so that this kind of fraud is no longer a felony but a simple administrative misdemeanour punished by a fine. He is charged with corruption; he gets parliament to adopt a law that grants immunity to the four top offices of the land (president, prime minister and speakers of the two houses of parliament). So in a recent court case, a British lawyer whom Berlusconi is accused of corrupting is found guilty but the courts have to wait for Berlusconi to be out of power before he can be tried. When he has a problem what does he do, he blames rabid pinko, commie prosecutors who want to do him in. Anybody criticizes him? They are Stalinist totalitarian comrades, leftovers from a bygone era of butchers of freedom loving people like him. This is the same man who cavorts with former KGB operative, turned prime minister/p­resident/b­utcher of Chechnya Putin.

[Pikaya]

Comment part 1: The Noemi affair is just the tip of the iceberg. I doubt many Americans realize what Berlusconi represents in Italy. Imagine someone who takes advantage of a legal loophole after the Supreme Court declares unconstitutional the government’s monopoly over TV media, then establishes an oligopoly in TV broadcasting by funding political parties and leaders (while becoming Italy’s richest man), and then gets into politics after a huge kickback schemes blows wide open and undermines his political protectors. As Italy's media tycoon he owns three of Italy’s four national private TV networks. As prime minister he can get his yes men appointed to the three public TV networks. He has been taken to court so many times but given his deep pockets he can drag legal proceedings for so long that the statute of limitations kicks in (after only 8 years). In Italy a conviction in a lower court does not mean jail or even conviction; a conviction to become final, it must go to to the Court of Last Resort (Corte di Cassazione). So court cases end up shelved because too much time has passed. Berlusconi has always said he is innocent but the law allows him to wave the statute of limitations and have proceedings continue. Has he done so, ever? Nope.

[MGinProgress]

I still contend that Italians should answer to the following question: why are you voting Berlusconi? I am not sure stupid questions about Noemi are that important compared to the law case of corruption concerning Mr. Mills. I do not care about Noemi Letizia unless something illegal is behind. Thanks you in any case for bring all issues to the attention of the international public.

http://mgiannini.blogspot.com/2009/05/inflection-and-infected-points-ironies.html

[Riki Rab]

This is the question! I'm Italian and I don't know because so many Italians are voting Mr.Berlusconi. But here, from 15 years, our brains are washed from six television. The yesmen of Mr.Berlusconi are all around we, in the most important power centers, and the political opposition is very weak.
Thank you and sorry for my English.

[Daniele Pelagatti]

Thanks Laura,
USA please please, invade us and teach us the true meaning of democracy!
I'm kidding, anyway, thanks again for spreading the world.
Daniele Pelagatti

[Luigi Dati]

May be we all got it wrong.....
The teenager in object (Noemi) face features look like those of Berlusconi's son and daughter..........

[kbella]

Eh, if you see her parents, you can tell that she looks just like them. I too thought the same thing initially, but was disappointed to be proved wrong.

[Simone Cavallaro]

Thanks Laura for spreading the word abroad. The entire world should know what kind of man he really is.