You are in:
- Archives » 2006 » March 2006
Glossing Over The Facts
Embattled Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has sent eleven million copies of a glossy magazine to households throughout Italy in an attempt to influence the general election on 9-10 April.
He is portrayed in the 160-page publication, entitled 'The Real Italian Story', as a great friend of George Bush, Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin.
Also featured are photos of the 69-year-old billionaire media magnate hugging famous acquintances such as rock star Bono and paying his respects to Pope John Paul II. According to the Guardian, it's the second time Berlusconi has tried such a stunt: In the previous general election he sent a hefty biography to voters. It's not clear how many households read the 125-page hagiography, but Berlusconi swept to power in a landslide.
This time could be trickier. Mr Berlusconi is trailing behind centre-left challenger Romano Prodi according to most recent opinion polls. Prodi - the former EU commission president - was widely believed to have "won" a recent television debate between the two contenders.
While Berlusconi's support for the US-led invasion of Iraq is widely unpopular in Italy, Prodi's coalition doesn't seem to be able to strike him on the subject (though not for lack of trying): The PM promises that Italian troops will pull out within the year - the centre-left grouping will do the same, it says. In fact, it's probably the economy that will damage Berlusconi's ruling coalition rather than Iraq: Growth has floundered in the country, as the PM has been unable to press through reforms he promised prior to his election. However, it remains to be seen if Prodi's coalition - which is nominally centrist, but includes some anti-reform parties - will be able to do any better.
But, ironically, for a premier repeatedly accused of corruption in Milan courts, the swing vote may be decided in Sicily, home to the mafia.
At Italy's last general election in 2001, Sicily swung decidedly behind the coalition of Mr Berlusconi. The prognosis of political commentators in Palermo and Rome is that the same could happen again.
The Mediterranean's biggest island will choose 60 of the 630 seats in the lower house.
As they say in the town of Corleone, it's not personal, it's business.
