BUNGA BUNGA was yesterday, today Silvio has other worries!

Source: mz-web.de

Asked at the press conference after Sunday's euro crisis talk in Brussels (23rd Oct.) "What exactly have you told Berlusconi? Has he shown you some engagement about reforms in Italy and are you reassured after hearing them?", Merkel and especially Sarkozy reacted spontaneously with a laugh, which caused indignation and brought Silvio Berlusconi's controversial person up for discussion again. But in earnest: How serious can you take a prime minister who is mired in and actually charged with corruption, mafia and sexual scandals, and even gets off checking the Danish Prime Minister's bum inside the great hall of the Brussels European Council?! Silvio Berlusconi is in the hot seat: Italy is right now, after Greece and Spain, the third biggest problem child of Europe's current debt crisis; hence Europe's heads of state and government expected the 75-year-old Cavaliere to bring some concrete reform plans for his country to the euro crisis talks in Brussels, which were till Wednesday in coming. With all these happenings, rumours about an alleged resignation of Berlusconi by the end of this year and a "secret pact" with his coalition partner Umberto Bossi appeared on Wednesday, which were demented by the Italian government immediately. Instead Berlusconi enforced the increase of the retirement age from 65 to 67 and presented a 14 pages long paper yesterday to the other heads of state and government, so he could leave Brussels (once more) with a figura bella. Again Silvio saved his neck - for now - cause his reform proposals are considered doubtful and their realization is challenged strongly, especially in the own country. The left-liberal newspaper La Repubblica for example called his paper a "book of dreams".

Beside the economical crisis, Italy also has to struggle with forces of nature in the North of the country right now. Heavy rainfalls resulted in severe flooding and landslides in Liguria and Toscana this week, whereat whole villages "disappeared" and at least nine lives were lost. Hard times are in store for Bella Italia. For a lot of Italians a general improvement for their country is only possible if Berlusconi disappears from politic. But fact is: As long as Berlusconi doesn't resign from his position as Italian Prime Minister of his own accord, it's gonna be hard to vote him out as he is not just a politician, but meanwhile also billionaire and media mogul, owning numerous TV channels, radio stations and newspapers in Italy. Even if many people smile at him and don't take him serious as politician, Berlusconi is the longest-serving post war Prime Minister of Italy and built himself up a safety net with enormous influences. Italy needs to come up with ONE serious and strong opposition contra to Berlusconi's coalition, so that the Italian people actually have an alternative government to vote for. As long as this doesn't happen, in my opinion no long-term political, financial or economical improvement for the country can be expected.