Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 8 november 2017

Italy: Former Premier Berlusconi back at center of politics

By COLLEEN BARRY the political stage.
Associated Press “Berlusconi has real politi-
MILAN (AP) — He’s 81 years cal skills, even at his age,”
old and can’t run for of- said Roberto D’Alimonte,
fice because of a tax fraud a leading Italian political
conviction, but Silvio Berlus- analyst who writes for il Sole
coni, Italy’s three-time for- 24 Ore. “He still has a lot of
mer premier, is again play- political resources, money
ing kingmaker in his coun- and media, plus 2 million
try’s political arena. core voters.”
After a long period of rela- A billionaire media mogul,
tive quiet on the political Berlusconi emerged on the
scene, Berlusconi has been political scene in the 1990s,
spearheading a center- serving a total of three
right coalition that hopes terms as premier after win-
to ride momentum from a ning elections in 1994, 2001
weekend election victory in and 2008. He resigned his
Sicily to a return to national last government in 2011
power in a parliamentary after losing a confidence
vote early next year. vote as investors punished
Neither his reputation as Italy for its high public debt.
a womanizer nor his close While lesser politicians likely
friendship with Russian Pres- would have been perma- Former Italian Premier and Forza Italia (Go Italy) leader Silvio Berlusconi is seen in Milan, Italy.
ident Vladimir Putin so far nently sidelined by Ber- He’s 81 and can’t run for office because of a tax fraud conviction, but three-time former premier
have put the slightest crimp lusconi’s combination of Berlusconi is once again playing king-maker on the Italian political scene.
in the ex-premier’s return to age, criminal conviction (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
and global infamy follow- has stumped in Sicily for the But even as Berlusconi
ing revelations of “bunga center-right, campaigned basks in the triumph of Sun-
bunga” sex parties with as- for a pair of autonomy day’s regional vote in Sic-
piring show girls at his Milan referendums in Lombardy ily, his role as the dominant
villa, the tycoon merely lay and Veneto and returned force in the center-right is
low and waited for the right to Brussels after a five-year being challenged. The co-
moment to re-emerge. absence for a meeting of alition that aims to win next
“There are parties for ex- European centrists. year’s parliamentary vote
tremists, paupers, populists The seasoned politician includes his Forza Italia par-
and irresponsibles,” a trim demonstrated his political ty, the anti-migrant, anti-EU
and tanned Berlusconi said acumen at the Septem- Northern League and the
at a September campaign ber event in Sicily by put- right-wing Fratelli d’Italia
rally where he made his re- ting aside a 40-page pre- party.
turn to active politics. “That pared speech and delving Northern League leader
is why I am still here.” into animal rights, his latest Matteo Salvini has been
Berlusconi, who has a histo- cause and a passion he transforming the party that
ry of cosmetic surgery, pre- shares with his third wife, once backed secession for
pared for the comeback 32-year-old Francesca Pas- Italy’s wealthy northern re-
by losing 10 kilograms (22 cale. gions of Veneto and Lom-
pounds) over the August Berlusconi rattled off statis- bardy into a national play-
holiday through a strict no- tics from a survey he com- er. The former premier also
carb diet and an exercise missioned as he reached must contend with Giorgia
regime that included 60 for a fresh demographic: Meloni at the head of the
minutes of walking, an hour pet owners. Italians own 8 Fratelli d’Italia.
of swimming and weight million dogs and 12 million “Berlusconi will struggle to
training, as revealed by his cats, and 92 percent of impose his more moderate
close friend, TV presenter those owners consider their line on his populist allies,”
Bruno Vespa. pets family members, ac- Wolfango Piccoli, co-presi-
The regimen was also cording to the survey.”And dent of Teneo Intelligence,
meant to allay concerns 72 percent of women, tak- a political consulting firm
over his health following ing advantage of anonym- based in London, said,
the open-heart surgery he ity, responded that they noting that the Northern
underwent more than a would choose their dogs” League can be seen as
year ago. over their husbands, Berlus- “the driving force in the
In recent weeks, Berlusconi coni said, eliciting laughs. center-right” in the north.q