Wednesday,
February 20, 2013. A massive mailshot of letters with the words
"Important notice: reimbursement of [propriety tax] IMU 2012"
printed on the envelope was sent to Italian voters by Silvio
Berlusconi People of Freedom party, triggering queues of inquiring at
Post Offices and revenue services' agency.
Silvio Berlusconi promising to abolish IMU (and refund the tax paid in 2012)
“How
and when to obtain in 2013 the refund the [property tax] IMU paid in
2012 on the first house and land and farm buildings” recites the
object of the letter – sent to millions of households and duly
signed by Silvio Berlusconi – who addresses the recipients with a
warm “Dear Maria” or “Dear Giovanni”, depending if the addressed person is a man or a woman.
The
letter goes on detailing that the payment can be carried out "to
your current bank account or, for pensioners and others who
prefer this method, in cash at the Post Office counter". In a
country like Italy were almost 40 per cent of inhabitants never used Internet
and the main source of information is the television, it might be
easy to take it for granted that the tax will be paid back. Especially if you are a pensioner, and somebody is showing you the colour of money...
Sunday,
February 3, 2013. “Even imbeciles are able to invent new taxes”
says Silvio Berlusconi, explaining that he is an intelligent one who
will make the Swiss pay for it.
Silvio
Berlusconi had a vision: in the first meeting of the new ministers'
cabinet – where the newly elected Silvio will play the role of the
Economy and Finance Minister – there will be decided the scrapping
of the unpopular property tax called IMU, and the reimbursement of
the tax the Italians paid during 2012 (the media tycoon called it a «shock proposal», his rival Gianfranco
Fini, the chair of the house of representatives, has another idea, he replied on Twitter
that in his second cabinet meeting, Berlusconi would «decree
that everybody wins the lottery»).
Promises, promises!
How?
In a previous attempt to convince the Italians how he would abolish
the propriety tax (when the former prime
minister faced his long-term enemy Michele Santoro on his TV show) Silvio Berlusconi declared he would raise new taxes on tobaccos,
spirits and gambling.
Then
the ex-premier of Italy realised that he needs to be (even) smarter. «Even imbeciles are
able to invent news taxes», declared the billionaire to his
supporters yesterday, on a speech in Milan, then he pledged to
convince the Swiss banks to help him to tax Italian assets and activities
in Switzerland. Not only they have to pay a one off tribute of 25
billion euro (about £21.7bn or $33.9bn), but – in Silvio's mind –
they will be keeping on paying €5bn every year.
Doesn't
it sound as a tax, Silvio? Are you an imbecile?
Anyhow,
the problem isn't exactly there - someone would argue – but in the
fact that nobody ever convinced the Swiss bankers to do so!
Never
mind, thinks Silvio, they (the new government made up by the People
of Liberty party and friends) will do it, they will convince them.
And
in the meanwhile, they take – as a loan – the money from the
postal savings system (CDP).
Tuesday,
December 18, 2012. Invited to Italian state TV talk show “Porta a
Porta” (“Door to Door”) by anchorman and friend Bruno Vespa,
Silvio Berlusconi holds electoral an electoral speech and admits that
if the election will be held in February, his chances to win are
pretty dim.
"After Monti it's my turn"
“You
need... me” begins Silvio Berlusconi on the television screen, participating to Porta a Porta (Door to Door) one of the most viewed TV shows on state owned Rai1, after host Bruno
Vespa showed a footage of the previous night television programme (still on Rai1), where
Oscar-winner Italian actor Roberto Benigni joked about the fact that
it's the sixth time that the tycoon runs for office (“the seventh
time he shall rest” mocked Benigni).
"After Monti, it's my turn again" says Berlusconi's manifesto, projected by Bruno Vespa's staff. This is how things go in Italy, nowadays.
“You
need me and [...] I don't refrain [...] to render the assistance to
those in need” the former Italian prime minister continued, as the
conversation between the politician and business man and the
journalist went on following the usual politician-stooge pattern.
"Don't vote for small parties" warns the People of Liberty's president, founder and main financial backer, look for someone who "has got plenty of common sense", and than enunciates "I have been a winning entrepreneur, in every sector, I have built model cities, worked in the building, publishing and broadcasting industry".
In
reality the only electoral promise coming from Berlusconi is the
abolition of a municipal tax that his government introduced back in
2011 (Decree nr. 23, 14 March 2011), the infamous IMU (“Imposta
municipale propria”, a kind of Council Tax) in order to cover the
expenses left without funds by the repeal of the previous tax on real
proprieties “Imposta comunale sugli immobili” (ICI, “Municipal
Propriety Tax”).
Berlusconi
said that he can aim to get the 40 per cent of the votes, if he gets
enough time on TV to explain his reasons (pardon: his reason) his to
the Italians.
Gotcha!
What
is the alternative to Berlusconi? According to Berlusconi it's a social civil war, just like it (almost) happened in
Greece.
But in
the meantime another clock is ticking: a court set February 4, 2013
as the day for final hearing and judgement of the Rubygate
proceedings. In the trial Silvio Berlusconi is indicted of having
paid for sex an under-age prostitute known as “Ruby the
Heart-Stealer” (the real name is Karima El Mahroug) at his “bunga
bunga” parties, to which Moroccan belly-dancer Karima and droves of
other women were invited. If he gets a conviction, it might influence
his run for office.
Run
Silvio, run! I mean: slow down, Silvio, slow down...
