Berlusconi and the mystery of the European election's logo

Wednesday, 2 April 2014. The Forza Italia logo for the European elections shows the name “Berlusconi”, but if Silvio can't run as a candidate, who is going to be that?

Silvio Berlusconi can't run as a candidate for public office due to his interdiction to public posts, Italian highest court had made it clear last month, when the former prime minister's lawyer appealed against the ruling, which followed the definitive conviction of the media tycoon for tax fraud. 

Forza Italia's logo and slogan: “"More Italy in Europe, less Europe in Italy”

But, then, who is going to put a face to the Berlusconi name written in big blue letters over the Forza Italia (Go Italy) party's logo for the election, just below the tricolour banner and between a menace printed on the left (“Piu' Italia in Europa”, “More Italy in Europe”), and a wrote bad omen on the right (“Meno Europa in Italia”, “Less Europe in Italy”)?

Berlusconi's divorce from second wife Veronica Lario was finalized (but the money issue is still to be settled)

Tuesday, 18 February 2014. A court in northern Italy's town of Monza finalized the divorce between Silvio Berlusconi and his second wife Veronica Lario (but the battle about the money to be paid in alimony is still to be fought).

A Silvio Berlusconi overwhelmed by emotions...

Here's how it started: Veronica Lario (who's real name is Miriam Raffaella Bartolini), asked for divorce, saying that his husband is a sick man having affairs with under-age girls (see photo below). Just for the record, the Lario woman was a former lover of Silvio Berlusconi when he was still married to his first wife Carla Elvira Lucia Dall'Oglio.

The "non-consensual separation" took off after a while, it was filed on 25 December 2012: 22 years and 10 days after they wedding. The wedlock brought three children: Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi (even though, actually, Barbara Berlusconi was born in 1984, when her father was still married to his first wife).

Berlusconi is the target of a lobby plot, according to his daughter Barbara

Saturday, 7 September 2013. Barbara Berlusconi, in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, says that a lobby is trying do to her father in.

Barbara Berlusconi with her father Silvio

Barbara Berlusconi was at the business workshop in Cernobbio's beautiful Villa d'Este, when she was reached by a quite unusual interviewer, the (former?) confidante of her mother Veronica Lario (the interview was published by Rome's newspaper Il Messaggero), asking Barbara to comment the Silvio Berlusconi's legal woes and take a stance in the entangled situation of Italian politics.

«The story of my father and of my family is not that of a handful of tax evaders. [...] The story of Silvio Berlusconi can not end in shame» she said, referring to the recent conviction of the media tycoon for tax fraud, «There are those who want to hunt my father from politics for their own interests.

The incoming judicial issues of Mr Berlusconi

Tue, 25 June 2013. As Silvio Berlusconi is sentenced to seven years in jail and ban from holding public office prison (for having had sex with a under-age prostitute and having tried to deceive a bunch of policemen about her identity, with a prank phone call) the Italian judiciary is keeping by five more judicial trials for the former PM of Italy. Not all of them involving women.

One of the rare occasions when Silvio Berlusconi showed up in court

Silvio Berlusconi has barely time to swallow the heavy sentence given by Milan's magistrates (they took seriously prosecutor's theory about Silvio being the head of a prostitution ring, didn't they?), that he will need a bit of luck and concentration to dodge the incoming threats from the judiciary, a gymkhana (since Silvio reckon it's a war, he might prefer to call a campaign) of proceedings starting already... tomorrow!

Silvio Berlusconi and the would-be First Lady

Tuesday, 25 December 2012. As Silvio Berlusconi reaches a settlement with his previous wife, the alleged new fiancée Francesca Pascale is being raised to become the official partner of the Knight, starting with the official photos.

Official pictures of the would-be First Lady

25 December 2012, Christmas day, was the day of the final settlement of the legal separation between Veronica Lario and Silvio Berlusconi (even though he will try and recover a part of the 36m euro a bunch of "feminist and communist" judges sentenced him to pay), and the day of the first official photo shoot of the apparent heir of Mrs Lario, Miss Francesca Pascale, at the villa of the former prime minister and billionaire in Arcore, near Milan.

Four of the photos were published by Italian news agency ANSA, in order to let the public know how the young Francesca is taking seriously the new role, (apparently) hoping to fully take over Mr Berlusconi's former wife place and fully join the family as soon as possible...

The engagement with 27-year-old Francesca Pascale was announced by Silvio last December, on his own TV network's Canale 5's Sunday afternoon Domenica Live, on 16 December 2012. The event has been promptly added to Silvio's page on Wikipedia.

Silvio Berlusconi the conspiracy theorist

January 2013. Silvio Berlusconi keeps on discovering conspiracies planned by his enemies, in order to prevent him to deservedly get back to Italy's helm. And he keeps instigating his supporters to fight against this Communist plot.

Silvio revealed the umpteenth plot against him

Silvio Berlusconi, in the attempt to gain sympathy from the public before the general election set for 24-25 February 2013, is trying to portray himself in different ways, but mainly as a victim.

In his own view, Silvio is a victim of a series of conspiracies and plots, he has being disclosing day after day. In the past he informed Barack Obama and Angela Merket about this terrible conspiracy (did they care?). Behind those plots obviously hid some of his countless enemies.

Silvio Berlusconi and the “feminist and communist” female judges

Tuesday, January 8, 2013 (Blessed Eurosia Fabris Barban). Silvio Berlusconi labels judges in charge for his divorce settlement as “feminist and communist” on LA7 broadcaster's prime time television show.

Silvio Berlusconi, enjoying Lilli Gruber's "tough questions"

Lilli Gruber, former RAI employee and left-wing politician, is the anchor woman hosting 8 e mezzo (“8 and a half”) prime time show, where Silvio Berlusconi was interviewed yesterday, and most people would have expected a fierce opposition to the former prime minister of Italy.

Well, it was not the case. Silvio just strolled through the interview, smiling and leading the dance for the entire 60 minutes or so (commercial breaks included).

Silvio Berlusconi and the (costly) separation from Veronica

Thursday, December 25, 2012. It's Christmas, and the marriage between Silvio Berlusconi and Miriam Raffaella Bartolini (aka Veronica Lario) comes to an end.

Silvio and Veronica (Photo EPA)

Veronica Lario and Silvio Berlusconi had been married for almost 22 year before when the legal separation document was filed, on 25 December 2012, in which the media tycoon agreed to pay 36 million euro a year in alimony to the former actress, in order to keep the ownership all his properties, especially the one they have been fighting over: Villa Belvedere in Macherio, near Milan.

The love story between Silvio and Veronica, however, started quite earlier: they met in 1980, when the Italian entrepreneur wife was still Carla Elvira Lucia Dall'Oglio.

A young Veronica Lario

When they decided to marry (15 December 1990, Berlusconi had already been divorced from Carla Elvira for five years), Silvio was 56 and Veronica 32, they had three children (Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi), who were raised in Villa Macherio. Now the estate – which is worth 78 million euro (£64m) and which maintenance costs 1.8 million euro (£1.5) a year – will remain in the hands of the former prime minister of Italy, since all the children already came of age.

According to Italy's civil code the “standard of living” of the couple must be maintained, and that was the principle that lead to the final settlement, even though Ms Lario reportedly asked an alimony of more than 40 million euro (and her ex-husband offered 2.5 million a year), according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

In the past years, Veronica Lario has been living in Macherio, whereas his (now former) husband stayed in Villa Arcore, which he had to share with his son Pier Silvio and his girlfriend Silvia Toffanin.

Mara Carfagna: Silvio would have married her,

if he hadn't already a wife...

The (emotionally and possibly economically) painful decision to separate was triggered by the fact that Silvio Berlusconi “hurt [Veronica's] dignity as a woman”, by publicly flirting with former model Mara Carfagna (Berlusconi said that he would marry her, if he hadn't already a wife) and mix with under-age girls (like Noemi Letizia).

The former wife of Berlusconi also said he should seek help for his sex-addiction. Many of the disclosers were published in the book “Tendenza Veronica” (“Veronica Trend”), wrote by Ms Lario confidante's (and Italian Sky all-news channel TG 24 anchor woman) Maria Latella.

Later on Silvio Berlusconi was indicted for having paid to have sex with an under-age girl – later to be revealed to be Moroccan Karima El-Mahroug, commonly known as Ruby Rubacuori (Italian for Heart-stealer) – in 2010.

The trial related to the sex scandal will resume in February 2013 (the same month in which general elections will be held in Italy), in the meanwhile Berlusconi declared he was going straight, and limit his affection to his 28-year old girlfriend, Francesca Pascale.

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Too many women for Silvio Berlusconi?

Sunday, 25 January 2009. Sassari (Sardinia). Silvio Berlusconi, Il Cavaliere, admits he hasn't a clue about how to solve the problem of rapes in Rome and other Italian cities.

Following a series of sex related assaults carried out around Italy, reporters questioned the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi about the possibility of deploying army troops to defent women and curb sexual crime.

Berlusconi laughing with fans (female fans, of course)

The politician replied by saying that there would be the need to send as many soldiers as there are beautiful girls and women in country.

So, Italy would need millions of soldiers, not just 300,000 units an initial the proposal stated.

People shouldn't forget that Silvio remarks are often made with a sense of "levity", as the president billionaire pointed out later. Oh, he can be so funny, Silvio Berlusconi.