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
I live in Catania where a few years ago we had the election for a new Mayor. Scapagnini who was standing for a second time was losing in the polls against Enzo Bianco who we all loved because he had taken Catania out of the hands of the Mafia when he had been Mayor. 3 days before the elections Berlusconi arrived in Catania with lorry loads of refrigerators and mobile phones. Wonder why? Bianco lost the election.
What has happened to Catania? The council has NO MONEY.
We are without street lights because they can't pay the electricity bills. We are without traffic police because they haven't been paid. There is complete anarchy in the city. Catania has many millions of euro in debts, how we will survive I really don't know.
And the day after Prodi resigned Scapagnani fled to Rome to join Berlusconi like a rat leaving the sinking ship. If you hadn't realised he is Berlusconi's doctor! And also can you believe that there are many people here who voted for Berlusconi today?
Kate, Catania, Italy
Here are some other Berlusconi's gaffes:
- He adviced a young woman asking about temporary work to "marry a billionaire" if she wanted to live well.
- He said about Mr. Mangano, one of his former assistants, jailed for being part of Cosa Nostra (the mafia), that he was "an hero".
- He reminded, talking about Mr Totti statements against him, that Tott's wife works at Mediaset, its tv network. Could he then fire her?
Marco Lambertanzi, Rome, Italy,
Mr Berlusconi has been the worst president in the history of our nation! Help us Europe!!! Berlusconi is coming again! I hope that Walter Veltroni will win the election! Yes We can! Go Walter!!!
fabio, torino, Italy
Matt, you probably didn' t understand what I was saying. Who tells you I'll be voting for Veltroni.
I was saying that there are so many things to change that nothing will change, but first of all what should change in italy is some kind of behaviuor and mentality. I think I' m lucky, as I'm from Trentino-Alto Adige, I' ll be able to vote a territorial party that really thinks about the needs of his people and his land. Some other regions should take us as an example of good administration and start working seriuosly.
toni, milan,
Harry, Oxford, UK says:
If Berlusconi had done a similar trick, then he would be seen as the enemy once more!
He did, a lot of time. in 1994 the most popular anchorman and actor and actress of his television for weeks in every shows at the end they said "we vote for him".
and Franco Baresi as well...
Daniela, Potenza, Italy
I am appalled that there are stil Italians who believe this power-mad 72 year old populist is fit to rule the country. He has intimated that the Economist, Ft and International Herald Tribune are left-wing extremist tools, has constantly thrived in conflicts of interest including nominating one of his personal lawyers as Chairman of the Justice Committee in Parliament and another (who then got 6 years for corruption of magistrates) as Minister of Defence. He employed a mafioso (Mr Mangano - who was handed two life sentences for murder) on his estate, his main advisor (Mr Dell'Utri) has been sentenced to 9-years in jail for mafia connections... (and is running for Parliament because in this crazy country he is still innocent until all appeals have been exausted) need I go on?
Woe for Italy!
guido, Rome,
Veltroni is responsible - he answers about serious issues without joking and making a mockery of the whole campaign, unlike Berlusconi. Worst of all however, is that fact that Berlusconi believes job instability is a good thing. I wouldn't mind so much if Berlusconi could actually achieve some good results. Prodi brought the deficit down from around 4.5% to 2.2% - for the first time in years, the country found itself beneath the 3% legal threshold allowed by the EU. Anyway, let's hope Veltroni wins!
J, Cheshire, UK
I fear this is not really a self goal. Just because such news are not know by Italians.
Imagine a country where one of the candidates owns three private TV channels and is much in control of the three public ones, where the seventh national channel is ruled by his friend Giuliano Ferrara and the eight is the teenager channel MTV.
Imagine a country where 75% of the people don't read newspapers, nor listen to the radio or browse the web.
They only hear from TV that Berlusconi will save them from children-eating communists.
Berlusconi is not even good in communicating. His advange is that he is the only one who can communicate to stupid people in Italy.
The only way to get rid of him is to remove him from ruling on massmedias.
edo, rome,
And I thought that Berlusconi always liked a bit of Totti!
leila, manchester, uk
In practice, in Italy there’s anybody who isn’t learned (many have a university education: we can take use of our brain, I guess), so I thought: “Few of them will vote for Berlusconi, once again!â€â€¦.in Italy we have the Pope, â€God will help us!â€, I thought…..
however, Berlusconi will wins: astonishing!
Please, lend us Harry Potter, because we’re hopeless!
Amedeo, Napoli, Italy
Italians, wake up, give a sign of wisdom! Do you want the Nothern League with Bossi, Calderoli, and their crowd to dominate the country? Do you want to block the frontiers to immigration? You, entrepreneurs of the North, who would produce your wonderful italian products, if not the Rumanians, Albanians, Polish, Africans, South americans? Why do you think the UK has let in the highest number of immigrants from the new eastern members states of the EU?
Do you want Tremonti to implement his protectionistic politics? Impose tariffs on foreign goods? How do you think affected countries would react? Would they not retort on the wonderful Italian products which you produce?
And you, people with low incomes. You already pay low or no taxes on the prima casa. Do you think it is in your interest that very rich people, owning huge villas, don't pay any taxes anymore on their property, as Berlusconi has promised to do in the first meeting of the cabinet?
Think! Make your interests not his!
katia, Vicenza, Italy
I’m rather pessimistic about Italy’s future and I do not believe that the two current leaders can change it. Mr Berlusconi has already tried it; he was prime minister for five years, he tried to do something but not very much was changed. Problems like steep decline of conditions of living, the astronomical public debt, bureaucracy, corruption etc, were still there at the end of his government, which was the first one to last the full five years.
Now we have Mr Veltroni an ex-communist that making use of all the tricks of modern communications is able to promise everything that he was against in the past. He is not Barack Obama, he is not the leader that can take Italy out of this deep crisis, on the contrary he will make it worse.
Michele, London, UK
Too much of Italy still tries to compete with the Chinese and the Indians etc on basic manufacturing.
Italians are smart, and Berlusconi or Veltroni should develop a plan to get that human capital into better use from working in basic manufacturing.
Luca, London, UK
God help Italy, whoever wins.
@ 'Vittorio', NO other country would want Berlusconi (Lo psiconano).
guido, bologna, italy
The outcome of these elections will measure the maturity of the Italian people. If Berlusconi becomes again Prime Minister it simply will mean that this country is hopeless, the shame of Europe, a real tragedy.
Worried, Perugia, Italy
Young people in Italy need Veltroni. We need a change for a brighter future. Yes we can!
Giulia, Verona, Italy
Hi everyone, people that dont live in Italy or don't know economy or politics should keep silence, sometimes silence is better than to say wrong things.
Dante, Genova, Italy
I hope Berlusconi wins.
He is the only one who can guarantee italy to be on everybody's mouth as the "funniest" nation, in Europe at least.
Doesn't everybody love to be a joke?
tiziana, lucca, italy
I already migrated and unfortunately I can vote but I cross my finger and I hope sometimes Italians can remind longer...too short their memory and YES WE CAN!
Alessandro, Lusaka, Zambia
Berlusconi is not the best we can have but is the only premier who can put Italy out of this critical situation: Prodi caused a lot of damages....See Naples and then die......
I agree with the objection to the article. Totti is a good player but not a smart guy. There are a lot of jokes on him more then on Carabinieri...Berlusconi didn't tell anything new, only something that Italians already knows.
Umberto, Rome,
EUROPE and And peoples of Europe, please ... Help us! Italy can not tolerate others anti-democratic 5 years with Berlusconi . For italy it will be the crack of economy. Europe can not tolerate a nation .Italy - in serious economic crisis. Please, an help not only for us but for Europe!
max, roma, italy
If Berlusconi wins, I'll emigrate...I hope that Italians think twice before voting him...we deserve something better. Veltroni might win, and this is my hope.
Bianca, Cagliari,
I'm back in Italy from London for the weekend, in order to vote. It's too important this time, having Berlusconi as a prime minister during a recession is the worst thing that can happen to the country.
Vincenzo, Bologna, Italy
I moved to London just to avoid all this!
The only way to really change things in Italy is a revolution Russian style. Or a dictatorship! But we Italians, must admit, are too lazy to run a revolution. This is why we are getting a dictatorship! We always let people take charge and do pretty much what they want. Actually, does anybody remember that we always lived in dictatorship since 1922? Well in fact DC and US took over from Mussolini in 1946 and ran the country for many years. I omitted the "Resistenza" (those heroes who really believed in a change) but I just learned that this part of the story will be erased from the history books! So, what's new? I could only dream that Veltroni would really be the "change" as he says hence my vote to him. Should this dream become true he would be killed next day! About Berlusconi: he represents, if possible and in many senses, the worst side of the Political Parties Dictatorship we have been living in so far.. and he pretends to be a joker!?
Sergio, London, UK
I hope Veltroni will win. Italy needs it. We cannot go ahead with a man like Berlusconi as prime minister. He has made a lot of laws, just for himself. He' s got more than 10 newspaper and televisions. I don' t like to be pessimist, but if he go trough, for us the very end will come. Sooner than you can imagine.
Andrea, Milan, Italy
How can people consider Berlusconi the rigth prime minister for our country?!
He thinks of Italy as one of his own companies!
By winning this elections, he will make his own interests (as he has always done). He does not really care about italians' everyday problems. The only thing he really cares about is his own business: trying to get richer, more powerfull (also controlling all media), and of course, avoiding jail!
This man is a shame for Italy! He keeps dameging our image all over Europe and the rest of the World.
Hoping to see him out of italian political life very soon.
Filippo, Milan, Italy
Vittorio do you really think that all the world would like to have BErlusconi as prime minister??have you ever read a newspaper while berlusconi was the italian Prime Minister??All the country in the world were laughting at us!!it was a nightmere,how can we stand another 5 years of all his stupid comments and how can we keep on standing THAT kind of prime minister?i really hope we will not have to do so...
elena, milan, italy
I hope that Walter will win!
pin , milano, italia
I'm personally worried about having a Prime minister mainly worried of Justices and persecution (of him). I'm worry to have someone like Bossi or Maroni as minister of the repubblic. Is still in the brain of the italian a bit of democracy sense? Or is everything depending on populism speech? I'd love to a have a right party in Italy that is just about different politics or economy to choose from, to laternate with the left, today we simple do not have it, therefore I think we should just do like Montanelli proposed "close our nose and cross (this time) left
luca, Modena, Italy
Please, help us! I cant immagine 5 years of injustice with Berlusconi..
Francesco, Banana,
The Euro has been Italy's salvation and however a currency can't decide prices on its own, it would have been enough to control the correct change between Lira and Euro, and from the 2002 till the 2006 it's been up to one only subject, that isBerlusconi's Government, to do this. In brief Berlusconi has ruled over Italy for 5 years and as long as I remember Berlusconi hasn't done much for the country than people think. Actually he's done a lot for himself, that is true, and for people who had, and probably still have, problems with justice or with tax commission. Since italy is the country with highest tax evasion at all levels, I guess the voters of Berlusconi will be several again.
Renato, Milan , Italy
I am one of the (majority, I don' think so...) Italians that hope Walter Veltroni be the winner of the poll, monday. Italy does not deserve to die definitely in a sea of troubles. The 'Cavaliere' is a sort of an affabulator, a jocker who enchants people with his populism. But outside of Italy nobody takes care of the Lega Nord, which would be the real master of the next 5 years of Italian policy, if Berlusconi would win. The Lega Nord has many different ideas from PDL (foreign and European policy, state's tructure...) and this will be cause of instablity and will block the Government action. Center-left is, instead, much more omogeneous.
Renato, Turin, Italy
Everybody in Italy moans on, with some jelousy, that Berlusconi owns media companies and can therefore not be a politican, but then accepts that Veltroni can use celebrities such as Totti and Clooney (who cannot even speak Italian) to try to win an election? Is this not also a conflict of interests? Should he not win because of his policies? If Berlusconi had done a similar trick, then he would be seen as the enemy once more!
Harry, Oxford, UK
The Euro was introduced by Prodi, and it is he who should have put in place measures to control price inflation. Berlusconi took power after the finalization of the Euro, and if people remember correctly was against its introduction. Besides, Prodi has done nothing to control spiraling inflation or improve wages. In fact he has made it worse by increasing taxation.
How people can blame five years of Belrusconi for 50 years of woe is beyond me? They obviously have little grip on reality.
Roberto, Frosinone, Italy
This article is so far from the truth that it should not be published! Berlusconi actually said that it was regrettable that Totti allowed himself to be used by Veltroni, and said that if he wanted to resort to similar under handed tactics he could have walked around in public with any one of his own Milan players!
Mel, London, UK
Actually, who has hauled down Italy, dragging out the country over recession has been Berlusconi during 5 years of government which turned out to be a very failure. As written in the article above he promised 1 millions of new jobs but failed, on the contrary with Berlusconi started a policy of over exploitation and chagrin of the youth. Thanks to him our wages are the lowest in the EU area and that why italian GDP's growth will be the lowest as well...because italian youth can't count on a safe and good wage and so won't "consume". Not to talk about the fact that after the adoption of Euro as current money hasn't been enacted any policy of prices control, all the inspectors employed by the previous government Prodi were sacked, whilst in other countries inspectors who worked wonderfully, controlling that the passage between the local values with the Euro was only and merely based on math principals...Let's hope that Veltroni will win for our futur
Renato, Milan , Italy
" In spite of persecution from judges and media"?
How can he be persecuted by media since he owns three televisions?
I truly hope that Italy will be free of his arrogance and hypocrisy before long.
Silvia from rome is right: during his govermnent he did nothing for Italian people. They made just one good law: the smoking ban
Italy doesn't deserve such a prime minister.
Giulia, Pavia, Italy
Silvia from ROme says that Berlusconi has got richer? That probably explains why he slipped DOWN the worlds richest list??
So TOni, what has Prodi done for you over th elast 18 months apart from drag Italy into recession? Veltroni is nothing but chat, and is just not competent the same as the rest of his party aren't. If you vote Veltroni, you are really getting Prodi.
Matt, Napoli, Italy
Wake up, we' re in 2008 and there' s no more comunism to fight against. But there' s problems to solve. Berlusconi wasn' able to do it the last time he was prime minister and he won' t be able to do it this time. Unfortunately many italians get captured by his populism. What we really need is to change rules to be more competitive , we need younger politicians to change our image in the world, we need more ethics ...we need too many changes that everything will remain the same!
toni, milan,
Berlusconi is our leader, he is the natural commanderr in chief of our beautiful country. All the world would like to have Berluconi as prime minister. It is a self-made man that is spending his life fighting against communist. I hope that Mr Berlusconi will take control of Italy for the rest of his life!
In spite of the pesecution frm judges, media, comedians, he is still here to fight for our country.
Thank you President Berlusconi!
Vittorio, bradford,
If Berlusconi wins it will be a tragedy for Italy and for us all. He governed 5 years with a solid majority and did nothing for the country nor for our people. All he did was to make laws to avoid justice ad get richer and richer. As a matter of fact Silvio Berlusconi has doubled his income while Italians are really suffering major poverty and misery. Even the press is no longer behaving as the tutor of legality and righteousness in this country! Most of the press belongs to him as well as 3 tv channels out of 6...Poor Italy!...
silvia, rome, Italy