| Published on: | 2011-02-15 16:24:57 |
Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, will be tried on charges of paying for sex with an under-age girl and abuse of office.
After Milan's prosecutors asked for him to be sent to trial last week, examining judge Cristina Di Censo said today that the process would start in Milan on Wednesday April 6.
Karima el Mahroug, now 18, is the Moroccan nightclub dancer, nicknamed Ruby, alleged to have been paid to have sexual relations with the PM when she was 17, which is against the law in Italy.
The abuse of office accusation refers to the PM intervening to get her released from custody when she was detained by police for the alleged theft of €3,000 (£2,522).
Both Mr Berlusconi and Miss Mahroug deny having had sexual relations. However, she has said that she received 7,000 euros (£5,900) from him as a gift after one of his parties.
Mr Berlusconi also rejects claims that he abused his position, but acknowledges that he called the police while she was being held on suspicion of theft.
As reported by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the 389-page summary presented by the prosecution to the judge sums up all the details of these accusations. In the event of being found guilty, Mr Berlusconi could face 15 years in prison. This brief also gathers together all the information regarding their 17 nights of sex parties, known as “bunga bunga”, which took place in the town of Arcore in 2010.
Is the party over?
Despite the scandal, opinion polls show that Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party still commands 27% of the vote, compared with the Democratic Party's 24%.
“Italian electorate is since long accustomed to his behaviour; more (sexual) scandals can’t bring further elements to the attention of people who already believes in his leadership,” said Paolo Natale, Professor in the Political and Social Department at the University of Milan, who spoke exclusively to The Fresh Outlook. “The fraction of the electorate who still believe in Berlusconi,” says Professor Natale, “has the following composition: housewives, especially if not young and with a low level of education, old people or self-employed persons.”
“He is in power because he has a media empire (television, newspapers and magazines) that is at his service; he has a faithful group of followers that would follow him into hell; and he has been able to buy a solid majority of MPs,” said Dr Robert Leonardi, Director of the Economic and Social Cohesion Laboratory at the London School of Economics (LSE) and President of the Conference Group on Italian Politics, who also spoke exclusively to The Fresh Outlook.
The question is now whether this “empire” will protect him if he is found guilty.
“It is not clear that the trial against Mr. Berlusconi will force his resignation in the short-run,” said Dr Leonardi.” “He is going to fight against appearing at the trial like a lion, and he may not show up in Milan for his day in court. If he were found guilty, he may have to resign, but that is a long way off.”
Paolo Natale, who is also a contributor to the Italian publication Europaquotidiano, considers that it is probable that Mr Berlusconi will survive this latest trial because "he did in the past.”
However, as Dr Leonardi explains, the choice of whether or not to stay in power is not entirely up to Mr Berlusconi: “Under the current electoral rules, the MPs are chosen by the leader(s) of the parties. If MPs do not toe the line, then they are not reappointed for election.”
However, both experts agree on the level of damage that these scandals are causing to the Italian society.
In Dr Leonardi's opinion, the effect has been devastating: “The scandal is promoting a relativistic attitude in society, suggesting that everything can be bought, there are no rules for the powerful and wealthy, and one can lie one’s way out of a jam.”
For Professor Natale, a mounting wave of disappointment against Berlusconi is crossing over the whole country, “with the peculiar exception of his loyal electorate, which includes, by the way, even a consistent part of faithful catholic people".
By Eva Fernandez
[Image courtesy of rogimmi]
After Milan's prosecutors asked for him to be sent to trial last week, examining judge Cristina Di Censo said today that the process would start in Milan on Wednesday April 6.
Karima el Mahroug, now 18, is the Moroccan nightclub dancer, nicknamed Ruby, alleged to have been paid to have sexual relations with the PM when she was 17, which is against the law in Italy.
The abuse of office accusation refers to the PM intervening to get her released from custody when she was detained by police for the alleged theft of €3,000 (£2,522).
Both Mr Berlusconi and Miss Mahroug deny having had sexual relations. However, she has said that she received 7,000 euros (£5,900) from him as a gift after one of his parties.
Mr Berlusconi also rejects claims that he abused his position, but acknowledges that he called the police while she was being held on suspicion of theft.
As reported by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the 389-page summary presented by the prosecution to the judge sums up all the details of these accusations. In the event of being found guilty, Mr Berlusconi could face 15 years in prison. This brief also gathers together all the information regarding their 17 nights of sex parties, known as “bunga bunga”, which took place in the town of Arcore in 2010.
Is the party over?
Despite the scandal, opinion polls show that Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party still commands 27% of the vote, compared with the Democratic Party's 24%.
“Italian electorate is since long accustomed to his behaviour; more (sexual) scandals can’t bring further elements to the attention of people who already believes in his leadership,” said Paolo Natale, Professor in the Political and Social Department at the University of Milan, who spoke exclusively to The Fresh Outlook. “The fraction of the electorate who still believe in Berlusconi,” says Professor Natale, “has the following composition: housewives, especially if not young and with a low level of education, old people or self-employed persons.”
“He is in power because he has a media empire (television, newspapers and magazines) that is at his service; he has a faithful group of followers that would follow him into hell; and he has been able to buy a solid majority of MPs,” said Dr Robert Leonardi, Director of the Economic and Social Cohesion Laboratory at the London School of Economics (LSE) and President of the Conference Group on Italian Politics, who also spoke exclusively to The Fresh Outlook.
The question is now whether this “empire” will protect him if he is found guilty.
“It is not clear that the trial against Mr. Berlusconi will force his resignation in the short-run,” said Dr Leonardi.” “He is going to fight against appearing at the trial like a lion, and he may not show up in Milan for his day in court. If he were found guilty, he may have to resign, but that is a long way off.”
Paolo Natale, who is also a contributor to the Italian publication Europaquotidiano, considers that it is probable that Mr Berlusconi will survive this latest trial because "he did in the past.”
However, as Dr Leonardi explains, the choice of whether or not to stay in power is not entirely up to Mr Berlusconi: “Under the current electoral rules, the MPs are chosen by the leader(s) of the parties. If MPs do not toe the line, then they are not reappointed for election.”
However, both experts agree on the level of damage that these scandals are causing to the Italian society.
In Dr Leonardi's opinion, the effect has been devastating: “The scandal is promoting a relativistic attitude in society, suggesting that everything can be bought, there are no rules for the powerful and wealthy, and one can lie one’s way out of a jam.”
For Professor Natale, a mounting wave of disappointment against Berlusconi is crossing over the whole country, “with the peculiar exception of his loyal electorate, which includes, by the way, even a consistent part of faithful catholic people".
By Eva Fernandez
[Image courtesy of rogimmi]
No comments:
Post a Comment