With victory in his grasp in tomorrow’s Italian election, Silvio Berlusconi
made a potentially disastrous error yesterday by insulting Francesco Totti,
the revered captain of AS Roma, suggesting that he had “taken leave of his
senses”.
At a final rally outside the Colosseum, Mr Berlusconi had been doing well. He
won applause from the crowd when he asserted that the Democratic Party of
Walter Veltroni, his centre-left rival, was merely the old Communist Party
in disguise and that Mr Veltroni himself, far from being a new phenomenon,
had been in politics since he joined the Communists at the age of 15. Mr
Berlusconi’s promise to lower taxes and tackle crime and immigration also
struck a chord.
Then he slipped up when he turned his fire on Totti for backing Francesco
Rutelli, the Deputy Prime Minister in the outgoing Government of Romano
Prodi. Mr Rutelli is standing for Mayor of Rome in the elections, which are
both national and local, tomorrow and on Monday.
Mr Berlusconi, who was hoarse and occasionally lost his thread – remarking
jocularly: “I’m getting old” – appeared taken aback when his announcement
that the footballer Ronaldinho was joining AC Milan (which he owns) was
greeted with whistles and jeers.
He then made things worse by attacking Totti, declaring to shocked silence
that the Roma captain and star of the national team was “out of his mind”.
“Berlusconi has just lost Rome,” a radio commentator said. “If anyone needs
his head examining it is Berlusconi. This is a man who, when he was last in
power, promised to create millions of jobs but failed to do so.” Mr
Berlusconi later said that he admired Totti and that his remark had been
misused by the Left.
Mr Veltroni’s fortunes as the campaign drew to a close were very different. He
drew a crowd of 100,000 in the centre of Milan, Mr Berlusconi’s home turf,
and won the public endorsement of George Clooney. The actor, who has a villa
on Lake Como and is touring Italy to publicise his latest film, Leatherheads,
was pictured in a Milan café sharing a cappuccino with Mr Veltroni while
describing him as “Italy’s answer to Barack Obama” because he offered hope.
Mr Veltroni, 52, a film buff who founded the Rome Film Festival while Mayor of
Rome, is well known to Hollywood stars. Opinion polls put Mr Berlusconi in
the lead and the centre-right leader has dismissed predictions of deadlock
in the Senate, claiming that he will win a large majority in both houses of
Parliament.
However, the man known for his gaffes has been making increasingly wild
statements in the closing stages of the campaign, including a pledge to give
Italians one tax-free month a year, which he later retracted as unworkable.
He also suggested that the Left could have the constitutionally important
post of Speaker of the Senate, provided that President Napolitano, a former
Communist, resigned.
The actor and entertainer Gigi Proietti noted that Mr Berlusconi had made the
“equally bizarre” remark this week that magistrates – who have repeatedly
investigated him for alleged corruption – should undergo “regular mental
health checks”. Italians are familiar with Mr Berlusconi’s antics and many
are still attracted by the dream he continues to offer of wealth creation
even though he has failed to deliver it in the past. They may also conclude
that Mr Veltroni’s new party of social democrats and left-wing Catholics is
tainted by association with the failed Government of Mr Prodi.
In his own words
— At a rally in 2006: “Read the Black Book of Communism and you will discover
that in the China of Mao, they did not eat children, but had them boiled to
fertilise fields.”
— At the Brussels summit marking the end of Italy’s EU presidency in
2003: “Let’s talk about football and women.” Turning to four-times-married
Gerhard Schröder: “Gerhard, why don’t you start?”
— To Martin Schulz, the German MEP, in 2003: “In Italy there is a man
producing a film on Nazi concentration camps – I shall put you forward for
Kapo (guard chosen from the prisoners). You would be perfect.”
— On himself: “The best political leader in Europe and in the world.” “I
am the Jesus Christ of politics.” “I don’t need to go into office for the
power. I have houses all over the world ... I am making a sacrifice.”
Sources: Times archives
WHERE THEY STAND
The economy
Berlusconi Cut income tax, housing tax, corporate tax and value-added
tax, gradually taking tax revenues as a proportion of gross domestic product
down to 40 per cent from the record 2007 level of 43.3 per cent.
— Raise state pensions, offer “baby bonus” to boost the birth rate and give
rental aid to young couples and low earners.
— Attack tax evasion, cut “excessive” public spending and sell or rent up to
700 billion euros ($1.1 trillion) of public property (firms and real estate)
to cut the deficit and debt.
Veltroni Cut income tax by one percentage point per year for three
years, lower taxation of bank deposits, raise child benefit and set minimum
wage of 1,000 euros per month for temporary workers.
— Provide tax benefits to pensioners and spending vouchers of at least 500
euros a year to 3 million low-income families to help to cope with rising
inflation.
— Tackle tax evasion and sell off real estate. Cut public spending excluding
interest on debt by 0.5 percentage points of GDP in first year and by a full
point in each of the next two.
Crime and security
Berlusconi Increase the number of police on the streets to curb “common
crimes” such as house and car theft and drug pushing.
— Tax incentives to shop owners to install alarms and create higher jail
sentences for violence against the police.
— Expel all illegal immigrants, and crack down on gypsy camps and “centers
linked to the preaching of Muslim fundamentalism”
Veltroni Raise the number of police on the street and increase closed
circuit TV cameras. Increase police powers to investigate Mafia involvement
in construction contracts.
— Increase the duration of residency permits for immigrants but guarantee that
expulsion orders for illegal immigrants are really carried out.
Foreign policy Neither party cites foreign policy among their main
priorities but Berlusconi has always been a staunch ally of the United
States while Veltroni would be expected to place greater emphasis on Italy's
relations with France and Germany.
Berlusconi May send more troops to Afghanistan and military instructors
to Iraq. Aims to change the rules of engagement for Italy's troops in
Lebanon to help them better keep the peace.
Veltroni Italy must maintain its missions in Afghanistan and Lebanon
under broadly the same terms as under the Prodi Government. Rules out
sending any new contingent to Iraq.
Source: Reuters
