Never a man to let defeat – or scandal – keep him down, the disgraced former prime minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi has announced he will run once again for the country's top job.
With three colourful terms behind him, Berlusconi confirmed he would try for a fourth time to become premier, saying he was doing it out of "a sense of responsibility" days after his party withdrew its support for the technocrat government of the current prime minister, Mario Monti.
The media mogul told reporters he was running to win and that "the campaign is already on".
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Berlusconi stepped down last year amid a severe debt crisis. Allegations of his involvement with an underage prostitute and reports that he hosted sex-filled "bunga-bunga" parties also clouded his premiership. He has since been convicted of tax fraud and faces low favourability ratings in the polls.
Grazie, Signor Berlusconi. Glad you're back in the arena and I hope you lose after entertaining the hell out of the world...
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OK. I get that European politics in general (and Italian politics in specific) are a lot more forgiving to scandal, including sexual indescretions. But for some time that has seemed to be changing.
But my impression is that Berlusconi is considered an embarassment.
I guess I'll have to alter the state mottos of GA and SC and say, "Thank God for Italy!"
Posted by: MapleStreet | December 09, 2012 at 13:06
I take it he's still free while his conviction is on appeal.
It would have been a lot funnier if he'd announced his campaign from jail.
Posted by: montag | December 09, 2012 at 14:07
You know, sad as it is, he might be an improvement on the European Central Bank. Berlusconi is a crook and a clown, but I've seen no evidence that he's a sociopath.
Posted by: somethingblue | December 09, 2012 at 14:35
my italian epal will not be happy.
Posted by: pansypoo | December 09, 2012 at 17:46
If Berli brings back Colpo Grosso, I'm sure that all will be forgiven.
Unless Italians actually want some "bread" to go with their "circuses".
Posted by: Snarki, child of Loki | December 10, 2012 at 03:21