Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has ruled out that he might step down after the country's highest court stripped him of immunity while in office. The verdict could reopen criminal trials against him. Reacting to the decision, Berlusconi accused the Constitutional Court of being primarily "left-wing" and said he was determined to stay in power for his five-year mandate. His cabinet ministers have also expressed their continued support for the prime minister. On Wednesday, the highest Italian court overturned a law granting Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi immunity from prosecution while in office, arguing that the law violates the principle that all citizens are equal before the law. The legislation was passed soon after Berlusconi came to power last year. Berlusconi has argued the immunity allowed him to govern without being "distracted" by the judiciary. "We must govern for five years with or without the law," the billionaire prime minister told reporters outside his Rome office. He added that he had expected the ruling, saying the Constitutional Court was filled with "11 left wing judges."
Reacting to the decision, Berlusconi accused the Constitutional Court of being primarily "left-wing" and said he was determined to stay in power for his five-year mandate. His cabinet ministers have also expressed their continued support for the prime minister.
On Wednesday, the highest Italian court overturned a law granting Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi immunity from prosecution while in office, arguing that the law violates the principle that all citizens are equal before the law.
The legislation was passed soon after Berlusconi came to power last year. Berlusconi has argued the immunity allowed him to govern without being "distracted" by the judiciary.
"We must govern for five years with or without the law," the billionaire prime minister told reporters outside his Rome office. He added that he had expected the ruling, saying the Constitutional Court was filled with "11 left wing judges."
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has dismissed the loss of his legal immunity as a politically-motivated farce. Italy's highest court said that a law passed by Berlusconi's government protecting him from legal action violates the constitution. Berlusconi retorted that the ruling was driven by politics: "We have a minority of leftist `red' judges who use the law in their political struggle," he said. "72 per cent of the media in Italy is left-wing. The cases against me they want to re-open are utterly false. I am going to have to spend some of my working day ridiculing my accusers. But these sort of things give me a buzz, as they do all Italians. Viva Italia, viva Berlusconi!" The Constitutional Court ruled that the immunity legislation violates the principle that all Italians are equal under the law. The prime minister's lawyers had argued that he should be considered `first above equals' but the judges rejected that.
The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has dismissed the loss of his legal immunity as a politically-motivated farce. Italy's highest court said that a law passed by Berlusconi's government protecting him from legal action violates the constitution. Berlusconi retorted that the ruling was driven by politics:
"We have a minority of leftist `red' judges who use the law in their political struggle," he said. "72 per cent of the media in Italy is left-wing. The cases against me they want to re-open are utterly false. I am going to have to spend some of my working day ridiculing my accusers. But these sort of things give me a buzz, as they do all Italians. Viva Italia, viva Berlusconi!"
The Constitutional Court ruled that the immunity legislation violates the principle that all Italians are equal under the law. The prime minister's lawyers had argued that he should be considered `first above equals' but the judges rejected that.
A defiant Silvio Berlusconi said today that he would govern with "even more grit" after Italy's top court stripped him of his legal immunity. In a radio interview, the 73-year-old Prime Minister also promised to show that corruption changes against him were "laughable". Yesterday's decision by the Constitutional Court, which struck out an immunity law pushed through by Mr Berlusconi when he took power in April last year, caps a 15-year legal tussle between the billionaire and the Italian judiciary. Already beset by sex scandals, Mr Berlusconi now faces a series of trials for fraud, corruption, tax evasion and bribery that will at best destabilise his centre-right coalition and at worse force its collapse.
A defiant Silvio Berlusconi said today that he would govern with "even more grit" after Italy's top court stripped him of his legal immunity.
In a radio interview, the 73-year-old Prime Minister also promised to show that corruption changes against him were "laughable".
Yesterday's decision by the Constitutional Court, which struck out an immunity law pushed through by Mr Berlusconi when he took power in April last year, caps a 15-year legal tussle between the billionaire and the Italian judiciary.
Already beset by sex scandals, Mr Berlusconi now faces a series of trials for fraud, corruption, tax evasion and bribery that will at best destabilise his centre-right coalition and at worse force its collapse.
In April last year Silvio Berlusconi was swept to power for a third term as Prime Minister, capitalising on public disenchantment with the fractious and inept government of his great rival Romano Prodi. He triumphantly formed a new party, the People of Liberty, a merger of his Forza Italia and the Alleanza Nazionale, a former neo-fascist group led by Gianfranco Fini. Greatness beckoned for the brash, wise-cracking "outsider", a property developer and television mogul who transformed Italy -- its politics, society and culture -- when he formed Forza Italia in 1994. Once his third term was out of the way, he had his sights on the Italian presidency, with a vision of the Right in office "for decades to come". A year and a half later it has all gone wrong. He will still not resign, his spokesman says, and will complete his five-year term. Outwardly Mr Berlusconi, who turned 73 last month, remains a crowd-pleaser, a showman who maintains that Italians "love me the way I am" or even that "all Italians want to be like me". He is, he boasts, "the best Prime Minister united Italy has had in its 150-year history". Many Italians still forgive him his perma-tan, hair transplants and platform shoes, even his notorious gaffes, ranging from telling victims of the earthquake in Abruzzo in April to imagine they were "on a camping holiday" to describing President Obama -- twice -- as "tanned".
In April last year Silvio Berlusconi was swept to power for a third term as Prime Minister, capitalising on public disenchantment with the fractious and inept government of his great rival Romano Prodi.
He triumphantly formed a new party, the People of Liberty, a merger of his Forza Italia and the Alleanza Nazionale, a former neo-fascist group led by Gianfranco Fini. Greatness beckoned for the brash, wise-cracking "outsider", a property developer and television mogul who transformed Italy -- its politics, society and culture -- when he formed Forza Italia in 1994. Once his third term was out of the way, he had his sights on the Italian presidency, with a vision of the Right in office "for decades to come".
A year and a half later it has all gone wrong. He will still not resign, his spokesman says, and will complete his five-year term. Outwardly Mr Berlusconi, who turned 73 last month, remains a crowd-pleaser, a showman who maintains that Italians "love me the way I am" or even that "all Italians want to be like me". He is, he boasts, "the best Prime Minister united Italy has had in its 150-year history".
Many Italians still forgive him his perma-tan, hair transplants and platform shoes, even his notorious gaffes, ranging from telling victims of the earthquake in Abruzzo in April to imagine they were "on a camping holiday" to describing President Obama -- twice -- as "tanned".
As he awaited yesterday's crucial ruling Silvio Berlusconi acted as if all was normal. He discussed the Middle East with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, and aides claimed that he was in "excellent spirits". But the situation is anything but normal and the verdict plunges Italy into political turmoil. Several options are open to the Italian Prime Minister -- and to his foes: He carries on regardless This will be difficult. A number of cases against him were frozen when he passed the law last year giving himself immunity from prosecution, and prosecutors will undoubtedly revive them. They include the allegation that he gave David Mills, his former British tax lawyer and the estranged husband of Tessa Jowell, a $600,000 (£376,000) bribe to give false testimony on his behalf in corruption trials in the 1990s. Mills was sentenced to four and a half years in March for the offence. His appeal starts in Milan on Friday and Mills's defence has asked for Mr Berlusconi to appear as a witness. Now the Italian Prime Minister is likely to find himself on trial instead.
As he awaited yesterday's crucial ruling Silvio Berlusconi acted as if all was normal. He discussed the Middle East with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, and aides claimed that he was in "excellent spirits". But the situation is anything but normal and the verdict plunges Italy into political turmoil. Several options are open to the Italian Prime Minister -- and to his foes:
He carries on regardless
This will be difficult. A number of cases against him were frozen when he passed the law last year giving himself immunity from prosecution, and prosecutors will undoubtedly revive them.
They include the allegation that he gave David Mills, his former British tax lawyer and the estranged husband of Tessa Jowell, a $600,000 (£376,000) bribe to give false testimony on his behalf in corruption trials in the 1990s. Mills was sentenced to four and a half years in March for the offence. His appeal starts in Milan on Friday and Mills's defence has asked for Mr Berlusconi to appear as a witness. Now the Italian Prime Minister is likely to find himself on trial instead.
Silvio Berlusconi may escape conviction on corruption charges because Italy's slow judicial system is likely to push the charges beyond the statute of limitations. Judicial experts said the complex legal process meant he could avoid a trial despite being stripped of his immunity from prosecution in a court ruling on Wednesday. It could be months before he is ordered to appear in court in two reactivated trials.
Judicial experts said the complex legal process meant he could avoid a trial despite being stripped of his immunity from prosecution in a court ruling on Wednesday.
It could be months before he is ordered to appear in court in two reactivated trials.
"We must govern for five years with or without the law,"
Cheney? W? In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
