Berlusconi was convicted of paying a minor for sex, then acquitted on appeal. He is currently on trial for bribing witnesses. The case has proceeded extremely slowly, because Berlusconi keeps being unable to attend ‘for medical reasons’. Hence the court has ordered medical examinations to check his actual medical state. For non-Italians: The Italian judicial system is extremely slow because any decision can be appealed twice before it becomes final. And, not least, because a sufficient delay triggers a statute of limitations (or in Berlusconi’s case: death), which gives the defence every reason (and many opportunities) to delay a decision ad infinitum.
Left-right distinctions matter less in Italian politics than anti-corruption v. anti-prison (to put it like that). Parties from left to right have had major problems with corruption inquiries, and politicians from left to right may have a shared, personal inteterest in not having politicians go to prison. And in having common access to the trough without having to worry about interference from judges. Samsonetti may be ex-PCI, but Il Riformista, where he is editor, is written by a combination of personalities that are ex-PCI, currently with Renzi (with moral if not legal problems of his own), or currently Forza Italia (from Berusconi’s party, that is). The declared principle of the paper is to be against imprisonment – be it for tax evasion, corruption, or collaborating with the Mafia.
The left-to-right backing for Berlusconi that Farrell reports is not a consensus, but simply the anti-justice party supporting a key member. Is Farrell ignorant of this – after 20 years in Italy – or is he, too, part of the group?
Rasmus Fogh
2 years ago
The most obvious reason for parts of the judicial system pursuing Berlusconi is that they have good reason to believe he is a corrupt criminal who has managed – with the help of other parts of the judicial system – to avoid punishment. Do you believe he is the innocent victim of a witchhunt? Was Al Capone?
And Al Capone? Another victim of a judicial witch hunt, who was done for tax evasion because they could pin nothing else on him.
Niobe Hunter
2 years ago
What is a ‘s-x-fuelled romp’? I thought generally the some other substance fuelled thé s!x part, which encompassed the romping….Maybe it’s different in Italy, or maybe Mr.B knows something we don’t.
Andrea X
2 years ago
He may not be mad, but perhaps senile… At 85 it is not that far fetched an idea.
Some additional information.:
Berlusconi was convicted of paying a minor for sex, then acquitted on appeal. He is currently on trial for bribing witnesses. The case has proceeded extremely slowly, because Berlusconi keeps being unable to attend ‘for medical reasons’. Hence the court has ordered medical examinations to check his actual medical state. For non-Italians: The Italian judicial system is extremely slow because any decision can be appealed twice before it becomes final. And, not least, because a sufficient delay triggers a statute of limitations (or in Berlusconi’s case: death), which gives the defence every reason (and many opportunities) to delay a decision ad infinitum.
Left-right distinctions matter less in Italian politics than anti-corruption v. anti-prison (to put it like that). Parties from left to right have had major problems with corruption inquiries, and politicians from left to right may have a shared, personal inteterest in not having politicians go to prison. And in having common access to the trough without having to worry about interference from judges. Samsonetti may be ex-PCI, but Il Riformista, where he is editor, is written by a combination of personalities that are ex-PCI, currently with Renzi (with moral if not legal problems of his own), or currently Forza Italia (from Berusconi’s party, that is). The declared principle of the paper is to be against imprisonment – be it for tax evasion, corruption, or collaborating with the Mafia.
The left-to-right backing for Berlusconi that Farrell reports is not a consensus, but simply the anti-justice party supporting a key member. Is Farrell ignorant of this – after 20 years in Italy – or is he, too, part of the group?
The most obvious reason for parts of the judicial system pursuing Berlusconi is that they have good reason to believe he is a corrupt criminal who has managed – with the help of other parts of the judicial system – to avoid punishment. Do you believe he is the innocent victim of a witchhunt? Was Al Capone?
No, actually, the most plausible view is that argued in the article.
And Al Capone? Another victim of a judicial witch hunt, who was done for tax evasion because they could pin nothing else on him.
What is a ‘s-x-fuelled romp’? I thought generally the some other substance fuelled thé s!x part, which encompassed the romping….Maybe it’s different in Italy, or maybe Mr.B knows something we don’t.
He may not be mad, but perhaps senile… At 85 it is not that far fetched an idea.
But that means he has been senile for about 30 years.
Joe Biden is senile and only 78.