Video: Carfagna on a gameshow | Carfagna singing and dancing

Since the summer, Mara Carfagna, a former topless model turned Italian government minister, has struggled to gain political credibility.

She was the focus of a scandal over an allegedly erotic telephone call with Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire prime minister. She was also ridiculed by a leading comic and compared to Monica Lewinsky, the White House intern who had an affair with Bill Clinton, the former US president.

The centre-right Berlusconi, 72, has given Carfagna’s fledgling political career a decisive boost with her promotion to government spokeswoman, responsible for briefing the media on cabinet decisions. She is already being hailed as the new, pretty “face” of his administration.

Carfagna, 32, a law graduate and former TV showgirlwhose naked photographs still feature on the internet, was elected to parliament only in 2006. Berlusconi expressed his admiration for her at a gala dinner last year, saying: “If I wasn’t already married, I’d have married her immediately.”

The quip earned him a stinging rebuke from his wife, Veronica, who wrote an open letter to a newspaper demanding an apology. Berlusconi complied, then upon his return to power in April he appointed Carfagna as minister for equal opportunities. However, her tenure has been overshadowed by reports that Berlusconi revealed explicit details of their rumoured affair in a bugged telephone call.

The precise contents of the call have yet to emerge but Berlusconi has denied an affair. Carfagna said she was the victim of sexism, arguing:

“If a woman builds a career she is suspected of having sought shortcuts and received favours, while people believe that men who go far deserve it.”

In August Sabina Guzzanti, the satirist and award-winning film director, scorned Carfagna at an opposition rally, claiming her political ascent was so rapid because she had performed Lewinsky-esque services for Berlusconi. An incensed Carfagna is suing her for nearly £1m in damages.

Ushering Carfagna into a meeting of aides preparing for last week’s cabinet meeting, Gianni Letta, Berlusconi’s chief of staff, announced: “You will see the signora more and more often.”

The prime minister has appointed Carfagna at a time when he is under pressure to bolster his government’s image. The administration faces a huge test as teachers, students and schoolchildren hold protest marches against education reforms.

Carfagna’s fellow female MPs hailed her appointment as a victory for women’s rights. “The fact that a woman has been chosen for this role is a victory after years of struggle,” said Daniela Santache, a conservative parliamentarian.

Carfagna’s new high-profile role has raised hackles in Berlusconi’s male-dominated entourage. Her sex, looks and lack of experience count against her. “She’ll need a few months before she learns the new job,” observed an official from his Forza Italia party.

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