Sub-title: Political Scandals and Journalism in Britain... in the 1990's; Authors: Maria Jose Canel, Karen Sanders
Published January 2006. http://www.hamptonpress.com/
There is increasing concern over the damage that Silvio Berlusconi is inflicting on Italy’s image at a time when the country is an important player on the world stage and holds the chairmanship of the G8.
The Italian Prime Minister’s popularity ratings have been unaffected so far by his public divorce battle. According to a recent poll, they stand at 66 per cent, despite insinuations by his wife, Veronica Lario, concerning his relationship with " or to " Noemi Letizia.
Ms Lario has said that he is "unwell" and "needs help" but many Italians admire Mr Berlusconi for his exuberant energy and drive as a self-made billionaire. They see him as "one of us", despite his wealth.
“He is popular because he is not a snob, like the leaders of the Left," said Il Giornale - his own newspaper.
For Emma Bonino, the former European commissioner who is now a senator for the opposition Radical Party, Mr Berlusconi’s gaffes and sexual misadventures are harming Italy’s image abroad just as he is preparing to chair the G8 summit in July.
Ms Bonino was applauded on Thursday when she told a studio audience on RAI, the state channel: "Italians, whether they voted for him or not, have the right to have a leader who does not embarrass us at the international level."
She later told The Times: "Nobody expects him to just stand there like a tailor’s dummy but he lacks decorum and restraint. There is no need to play the buffoon."
She said that the scandal over Mr Berlusconi’s promotion of showgirls as European Parliament candidates confirmed his lack of respect for women and reinforced a "vulgar macho stereotype which I had hoped was over". She recalled that two years ago Mr Berlusconi had described Baroness Thatcher, pictured, as una bella gnocca, or "a great piece of pussy".
James Walston, Professor of International Relations at the American University of Rome, said that Mr Berlusconi’s "Teflon qualities" would help him to avoid setbacks in the European elections. "But for July’s G8 meeting the stakes are different. Outside Italy, Berlusconi has the reputation of a court jester accompanied by the persistent odour of corruption. His wife’s allegations add a louche quality to the man which effectively undermine the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ hard work to improve his image."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
2 comments:
I wonder how accurate his 66% approval rating is when he owns most of the Italian media.
It’s amazing that a British newspaper, be it in print or online, could have the gall of criticizing Berlusconi, indirectly extending the ridicule to Italy. Britain, if memory doesn’t serve me wrong, is the country where a member of the ROYAL family (the “representation” of the whole country), the heir to the throne, married with a tormented young woman who’s given him 3 children, is known for wishing to be the Tampax of that old, ugly, flabby cow, his former mistress and present wife; where the behavioural and sexual antics of that WHOLE same family have made the rounds of the scandal and gossip press of the whole world (one homely Margaret, one horse-faced Anne); where the prince-consort is notorious for his philandering; where it can be expected at any moment that any personality be found out to be a homosexual and a security risk. Where there was a big John Profumo-Christine Keeler brou-ha-ha.
And THIS is the country the information media of which throws mud at US??!!!
Don’t worry about Emma Bonino: take a simple look at her, at her female colleagues in the political opposition to Berlusconi (Livia Turco, Rosa Russo Jervolino, Rosy Bindi) and you’ll understand why they have such a beef against him.
The life of the Bonino woman, an exponent of the two-bits Italian radical party who doesn’t like his private life to be talked about (but evidently enjoys to comment and censor that of others), has seen two marriage-less relationships. Her comment was given at “AnnoZero”, a talk-show on Channel 2 of the state-owned RAI-TV network that is MC’ed by the most miserable and despicable of Italian TV journalists, Michele Santoro.
She was appointed as European commissioner
I don’t recall ever hearing about Berlusconi making the quoted remark about Margaret Thatcher. I’m sure that, if he really did, it’d have made a big noise. I can’t remember any.
Never mind James Walston, either: he’s of the same type of the Tobias Jones-es, of the Paul Ginzborg’s. Associate Professor at some self styled two-bits “American university” in Roma, another one of those who’ve made a living in Italy and exhibited themselves biting the hand that was feeding them.
I acknowledge Mr Berlusconi would do well to keep his mouth more closed; but where were his “sexual misadventures”??!!!
C’mon, “TimesOnline”, wean a little better your reporters.
I’m surprised the Annotico Report was somewhat critical of the Times Online reportage. It usually swallows bait, hook, sinker and line (title, credits, text and signatures) whatever nonsense the foreign press says about Italy.
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WHY??!!!
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