One word was on the minds of Italians yesterday: blackmail. Could the claims emerging daily against Silvio Berlusconi leave him open to the kind of persuasion that makes holding political office impossible? Would he be tempted to cut a deal to suppress them? Even his friends on the Right are starting to wonder. "The spectre of blackmail hangs over Berlusconi," said La Stampa. Giampiero Mughini, a right-wing commentator, said: "A Prime Minister who is so blackmailable is a problem for the country." Berlusconi loyalists, including Ignazio La Russa, the Defence Minister, are still publicly blaming the allegations on a labyrinthine plot to undermine him but there are also hints of a move against him by his own side.
One word was on the minds of Italians yesterday: blackmail.
Could the claims emerging daily against Silvio Berlusconi leave him open to the kind of persuasion that makes holding political office impossible? Would he be tempted to cut a deal to suppress them? Even his friends on the Right are starting to wonder.
"The spectre of blackmail hangs over Berlusconi," said La Stampa. Giampiero Mughini, a right-wing commentator, said: "A Prime Minister who is so blackmailable is a problem for the country."
Berlusconi loyalists, including Ignazio La Russa, the Defence Minister, are still publicly blaming the allegations on a labyrinthine plot to undermine him but there are also hints of a move against him by his own side.
Italy's PM vows to 'hang tough' as a third woman confirms details about the night he allegedly had sex with an escortSilvio Berlusconi today promised he would "hang tough" in the face of a growing scandal over the alleged procurement of women for his social events, as a third woman stepped forward to confirm details of the night last November on which he allegedly had sex with a paid escort.Italy's prime minister has vowed not to allow the furore over his supposed antics with young women deflect him from running the government. But today another woman from the southern city of Bari, Lucia Rossini, confirmed salacious details about a dinner held at Berlusconi's Rome residence on 4 November.Rossini said Patrizia D'Addario, an alleged escort, remained behind when guests left that evening. Her account backs that given by a fellow guest, model Barbara Montereale, who said that D'Addario claimed the next day that she had had sexual relations with Berlusconi.
Silvio Berlusconi today promised he would "hang tough" in the face of a growing scandal over the alleged procurement of women for his social events, as a third woman stepped forward to confirm details of the night last November on which he allegedly had sex with a paid escort.
Italy's prime minister has vowed not to allow the furore over his supposed antics with young women deflect him from running the government. But today another woman from the southern city of Bari, Lucia Rossini, confirmed salacious details about a dinner held at Berlusconi's Rome residence on 4 November.
Rossini said Patrizia D'Addario, an alleged escort, remained behind when guests left that evening. Her account backs that given by a fellow guest, model Barbara Montereale, who said that D'Addario claimed the next day that she had had sexual relations with Berlusconi.
Celodurismo, literally "hard bird-ism" or hard-dickism originated with a speech by Umberto Bossi. He incited his followers with the climatic call that the leghisti have always got it hard.
Pride in one's priapism as a political position is not new. Mussolini: vainglorious strutting like an overblown peacock with bulging eyes, nasal rants and well-bosomed squealing claque- so well described by Gadda.
Bossi and Berlusconi are such rivals in hard-dickism that they vowed eternal love to the point both once declared they spend Mondays alone together, no doubt testing who softens first. Berlusconi remarked that he saw more of Umberto than his wife, a fairly empty statement we now know. They may have flacked off after Bossi's ichtus took its toll, sparring alas his tongue. But none the less Berlusconi's mommy's maiden name was Bossi.
sparring alas his tongue. But none the less Berlusconi's mommy's maiden name was Bossi.
that might be 'sparing' or possibly 'spearing' his tongue... sparring i think may be a typo.
are you serious that b's mother was a member of the bossi family? i remember that bossi rant about going into attack mode with 'cazzi eretti' the early 90's if i remember, and was gobsmacked at the time.
bossi doesn't seem like the 'latin lover' type, lol. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
Berlusconi liked to say that his reconciliation with Bossi was through his mother whose maiden name was incidently Bossi. In the mid-Nineties, Bossi and Berlusconi went through a few years of vicious antagonism and Rosa Bossi allegedly brought back their alliance "because they had the same surname."
The relation between Silvio and his mother was reciprocal worship to the point they likened themselves to the Virgin Mary and her infant. Rosa was bodily translated into their version of heaven.
For years, millions of hot-blooded Italian men have secretly wished they could gatecrash one of the parties hosted by their ebullient prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, featuring scantily-clad starlets and models, and endless bottles of expensive wine. But now the bacchanalian gatherings are coming back to haunt Mr Berlusconi. The billionaire businessman, 72, is trying desperately to fend off allegations that an acquaintance paid call girls, wannabe actresses and models to attend the parties. Uncharacteristically, the scandal seems to be getting to him. He is tired, flustered - and worried, because it is threatening to overshadow his hosting of the G8 summit in L'Aquila next month. A national joke is turning into an international humiliation. Attention is focused on a party that the prime minister held at his Rome palazzo on the evening of November 4 last year - the night of the US presidential election. A couple of days ago, one of the young women who attended the event, former Miss Italy contestant Barbara Montereale, 23, dropped a bombshell by claiming that Mr Berlusconi went to bed with another of the women in attendance, Patrizia D'Addario, 42, who was allegedly promised 2,000 euros (£1,700), and who herself claimed that when she saw the gathered women, she thought: "But this is a harem."
For years, millions of hot-blooded Italian men have secretly wished they could gatecrash one of the parties hosted by their ebullient prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, featuring scantily-clad starlets and models, and endless bottles of expensive wine.
But now the bacchanalian gatherings are coming back to haunt Mr Berlusconi. The billionaire businessman, 72, is trying desperately to fend off allegations that an acquaintance paid call girls, wannabe actresses and models to attend the parties. Uncharacteristically, the scandal seems to be getting to him. He is tired, flustered - and worried, because it is threatening to overshadow his hosting of the G8 summit in L'Aquila next month. A national joke is turning into an international humiliation.
Attention is focused on a party that the prime minister held at his Rome palazzo on the evening of November 4 last year - the night of the US presidential election. A couple of days ago, one of the young women who attended the event, former Miss Italy contestant Barbara Montereale, 23, dropped a bombshell by claiming that Mr Berlusconi went to bed with another of the women in attendance, Patrizia D'Addario, 42, who was allegedly promised 2,000 euros (£1,700), and who herself claimed that when she saw the gathered women, she thought: "But this is a harem."
A national joke is turning into an international humiliation.
November 4 last year - the night of the US presidential election.
heh, he couldn't stand barack getting more attention than him! ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
He has made no secret of his love of women but the sex scandal surrounding Silvio Berlusconi is now threatening to topple him, as more claims emerge of the systematic recruitment of young women paid to attend private parties at his homes in Rome and Sardinia. With weeks to go before he hosts the G8 summit the Italian Prime Minister, 72, is facing new allegations, including claims by a Bari escort girl who says that she has recorded footage of herself in the billionaire's bedroom. Now another woman has come forward, this time claiming that she was paid to attend the Prime Minister's private parties after going through a hostess service, allegedly operated by a local businessman. In an interview with The Times Barbara Montereale said that Mr Berlusconi gave her €10,000 (£8,500) "as a present" after attending one of his parties at Villa Certosa. She also claims to have received an attendance fee of €1,000, paid by his alleged fixer, Giampaolo Tarantini. Miss Montereale, 23, also claimed that Patrizia D'Addario, the escort girl at the centre of the scandal, told her she had had sex with Mr Berlusconi.
He has made no secret of his love of women but the sex scandal surrounding Silvio Berlusconi is now threatening to topple him, as more claims emerge of the systematic recruitment of young women paid to attend private parties at his homes in Rome and Sardinia.
With weeks to go before he hosts the G8 summit the Italian Prime Minister, 72, is facing new allegations, including claims by a Bari escort girl who says that she has recorded footage of herself in the billionaire's bedroom. Now another woman has come forward, this time claiming that she was paid to attend the Prime Minister's private parties after going through a hostess service, allegedly operated by a local businessman.
In an interview with The Times Barbara Montereale said that Mr Berlusconi gave her €10,000 (£8,500) "as a present" after attending one of his parties at Villa Certosa. She also claims to have received an attendance fee of €1,000, paid by his alleged fixer, Giampaolo Tarantini.
Miss Montereale, 23, also claimed that Patrizia D'Addario, the escort girl at the centre of the scandal, told her she had had sex with Mr Berlusconi.
Supporters predict Silvio Berlusconi will survive run-off elections - Times Online
Many European leaders "wonder how Berlusconi can still be Prime Minister, even if they do not say so to his face", according to Graham Watson, Liberal Democrat leader in the European Paliament. Part of the answer is that most Italians get their news from television -- and both Mr Berlusconi's channels and RAI, the public network, which he controls, have buried the scandals. Il Giornale, his own newspaper, has been deployed to discredit any witness against him, portraying the Prime Minister as the victim of a plot involving not only the Left but the international press, Italy's own secret services and "traitors in his entourage". function slideshowPopUp(url) { pictureGalleryPopupPic(url); return false; } Related Links Berlusconi: the parties, the trinkets, the cash Berlusconi: the whispers of blackmail begin For Vittorio Sgarbi, a former centre-Right deputy Culture Minister, it is even simpler: men of power need a lot of sex. "If Berlusconi does not gain sexual satisfaction he governs badly."
Many European leaders "wonder how Berlusconi can still be Prime Minister, even if they do not say so to his face", according to Graham Watson, Liberal Democrat leader in the European Paliament. Part of the answer is that most Italians get their news from television -- and both Mr Berlusconi's channels and RAI, the public network, which he controls, have buried the scandals.
Il Giornale, his own newspaper, has been deployed to discredit any witness against him, portraying the Prime Minister as the victim of a plot involving not only the Left but the international press, Italy's own secret services and "traitors in his entourage". function slideshowPopUp(url) { pictureGalleryPopupPic(url); return false; } Related Links
For Vittorio Sgarbi, a former centre-Right deputy Culture Minister, it is even simpler: men of power need a lot of sex. "If Berlusconi does not gain sexual satisfaction he governs badly."
there would seem to be quite a bit of truth to that
cuz berlusconi's doing such an ace job?
it's just 'droit de seigneur' with aspiring starlets instead of ruddy farm girls. without his lock on the media, he'd be history by now, that's why italy has such a slow rollout of broadband, can't let the information get to the peeps...
heading for hammamet! ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
Sex has nothing to do with ideals of government. It simply isn't relevant, and making it relevant as the statement highlighted by Fran attempts to do is not appropriate, unless one wishes to argue that eg the minister's preferred cupsize or whether he's enjoyed buggery in recent days should be an important factor in deciding the laws that govern the country. -- $E(X_t|F_s) = X_s,\quad t > s$
Now, if Haughey had been busing loads of starlets out to his Kinsealy mansion or flying them out to his island, that might have been a different matter. Though it would have been a pretty small bus in those days.
Pillow talk has proven expensive too.
It is a sacrifice but one I am sure our beloved leaders will make to keep the world safe from terrorists. A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
men of power need a lot of sex. "If Berlusconi does not gain sexual satisfaction he governs badly."
LOL This rationale will justify anything! We have the example of Bill Clinton. He had a ton of sex and still governed badly. Obanka might be useless; at least he's not a clown. In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
It's not being covered by main media. It therefore is not happening. You here know more about it than the average Italian.
I have pointed out these past days that Berlusconi's scandals are not being covered by strategic news media in Italy. There is today yet another parliamentary interrogation over the steadfast refusal to cover the scandal by the major national network RAI 1. Not only is it being ignored, the Berlusconi appointee, Augusto Minzolini, counterattacked in an unprecedented live interview disparaging the scandal as unworthy of coverage.
Minzolini owes his entire career to being a ruthless cistern shark. The term "minzolinismo" was coined to describe a certain type of journalism: To report idle gossip from within the corridors of power without any pretense of verifying it.
Minzolini built a career on entertaining insinuations and unconditional praise for Optimus Poffarbacco. He is utterly allergic to reality just as is his master.
Nor is he the only one elevated to a position where he can grovel insolently in the floodlights. It's just that he's new and has those sexy blue eyes.
Do most Italians get their information only from the mass media?
information, what information?
oh the sports scores, now i get it!
italians hone most of their political opinions chatting in bars and barbershops. their box has a colourful enough lining, that most don't see much need to think out of it.
good food and family are the compensations italians use to forget their government is the most expensive, overstaffed, criminal and expensive in europe, (as well as the laughing stock of the entire planet).
the really weird thing is that the more he's attacked, the more italy wants to mother him, gaah.
he's nonnina's's lovable lil rascal, by jiminee, and his sins are forgiven weakly, ain't he a card?
dr feelgood, with his mojo stick, come to save italy from detumescence, lol.
maybe tripoli could be be the new hammamet, then he could get some of that dictator drag going, as well as the harems.
this g8 meeting could be um, interesting, especially as l'aquila just had another aftershock today, not bad enough to knock any structures down, but 4.6. ain't chickenfeed either, especially with recent memories. it was enough to make all the tenters rush out into the open.
could we be about to see the world leaders running round in pyjamas as their world teeters?
i think his publicity ploy using l'aquila is going to backfire bigtime. or as J. might say, 'it couldn't happen to a nicer, or more deserving fella'
besides the people in the area are pissed his stupid plan to build a new cement monstrosity for them to live in is very late in starting, so pissed they met en masse in rome the other day, in front of palazzo chigi.
are there even any hotels posh enough (and still standing) round there, for our glorious globocrats to stay in, or will they helicopter in from rome?
memo to obama, don't start any conversations about bidets, michelle will probably not appreciate ribald man-talk.
just compliment him on his tan, can't go wrong there... ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
Up to 30 young women will be questioned by Italian prosecutors as part of an investigation into the alleged procuring of prostitutes for parties held by the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, it has been reported. The women, including Eastern European models, were recruited to attend at least five parties thrown by Mr Berlusconi at his mansion in central Rome and his villa on Sardinia's exclusive Costa Smeralda, La Repubblica newspaper claimed. A businessman acquaintance of Mr Berlusconi, Giampaolo Tarantini, 35, is under investigation by prosecutors in the Adriatic port of Bari on suspicion of abetting prostitution by recruiting models and call girls for the prime minister's private parties.
The women, including Eastern European models, were recruited to attend at least five parties thrown by Mr Berlusconi at his mansion in central Rome and his villa on Sardinia's exclusive Costa Smeralda, La Repubblica newspaper claimed.
A businessman acquaintance of Mr Berlusconi, Giampaolo Tarantini, 35, is under investigation by prosecutors in the Adriatic port of Bari on suspicion of abetting prostitution by recruiting models and call girls for the prime minister's private parties.
