

Italy’s tottering prime minister

Slipping into darkness

How much longer can Silvio Berlusconi go on?

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Readers' comments



This article is exactly right, ditching is Berlusconi is only the start. Italy needs a fresh start, a new image, and some sort of kick start to bring Italy back to its prime. Italy needs their own version of Vladimir Putin. Italy is all about culture and some how the next leader needs to balance preserving this rich culture, but also get Italy out of economic troubles.


For Italy to survive, Silvio Berlusconi needs to go. If Italy does not want to end up like Greece, they need to find a new leader. Berlusconi is falling into a black hole and he is dragging Italy with him. Italy needs a new role model to lead them in the future. Silvio is not that role model. Just look at everything he has done. What president does that? Someone that does those types of things is not a person who should be in a leadership position, much less leading a country. I am actually very suprised that the people of Italy have not kicked him out of office. Italy can not afford to have him as their leader anymore. In order for Italy to have any hope of a bright future, they need to start with their leader. Their president needs to go and then need to find a new responsible one who has the country's interests ahead of his.


Berlusconi has truly been the sole source for the downfall of the Italian economy and government. Using tax payer money for his own personal "enjoyments" has made the state of the Italian economy AWFUL. If Italy does not find a replacement soon, they face huge economic problems that may be too great for them to fix themselves. They will soon resort to China, as most of Europe has already done, for bail out money. Italy is slowly digging it's own rice propelled grave. Let's hope whoever comes into power next decides flying prostitutes around the country is not one of his top priorities.


Italy: Where sex and politics go hand in hand. Thanks to Berlosconi that is. This dude needs to step down, which would most likely encourage this beautiful country to improve itself and hopefully get back on track and avoid a Greece-like disaster. He's not even that attractive. But then again that doesn't matter. But I digress. Do us a favor and step down and please please find someone who will actually help Italy out to replace you! I'd hate to see such an astounding country be wasted by the greed of politicians.


Mr Berlusconi is contaminating and corrupting the Italian government. The stripers and sex scandals are bad enough but what should be more frond upon is the fact that no one in his party is willing to turn against him because he got them their livelihoods and positions. This shows that the whole party system id corrupt and Berlusconi should be kicked out of office immediately.


Berlusconi's actions are inexcusable. Clearly, his people think so too with an approval rating of 25%! Europe is already having enough troubles financially as Greece's economy is shot and the rest of the EU is having to bail them out. The rest of Europe, however isn't much better financially, with the exception of Germany. Italy may be the next country to go bankrupt like Greece and Berlusconi is too busy using tax payer's money to fly his pimps and prostitutes around. Seriously?! Not to mention with all the trials he is involved in, he barely has any time to focus on fixing Italy's economy. Europe can not withstand another bankrupt country, especially the German people who have to keep paying higher taxes to aid other countries. Enough is enough. A change in leadership is necessary.


The end of the article makes a good point when it says ditching Berlusconi would be a good start, but just that, a START. While all of the wild scandals Italy's prime minister has been involved in affect the well being and stability of the country, they are definitely not the sole source of ruin. Berlusconi, though greatly unapproved of, obviously isn't seen as a major threat since he has maintained power. Some of these allegations were made two years ago and nothing has been done about it really. Italy should focus on finding a new, responsible leader, but also the parliament should work on fixing some of Italy's problems in the meantime (or Italy will end up like Greece!).


Berlusconi has nearly single-handedly plunged Italy into a situation that is appearing to be very similar to Greece's. If they do not find a solid replacement soon then it will be hard to recover from this. They may find themselves begging China for bailout similar to Greece. Hopefully this is not the case and they can find a way out of this downward progression.


It seems that Berlusconi's continued power points to a more pressing issue, the corruption of the nation at the base level. How can a society overlook and continue to support a man like this? It is possible that maybe the country is not to blame but rather his party. This is also true, whether or not the people what Berlusconi, his own party should throw him out. In addition, the recent attempt to bail out Italy that totally failed is another sign that things must shake up. This man is a detriment to society, both his and all others. He is a risk to the economy of the EU and if I was in influence in the EU I would question Italy's involvement as a risky bid.

Hopefully his people will get off their mopeds and vote against Berlusconi. Lets together say ciao to the whore-mongering leader of Italy.


As mentioned at the end of the article, removing Berlusconi from office is clearly essential but merely a start to rectifying the issues at hand. However, this endless emergence of stories and charges only adds to the already grave financial crisis Italy finds itself in. The issue with the prime minister, albeit a sizeable problem, is of relatively little importance amidst the crisis. This fact alone serves as a metric for the country's state of affairs.


Berlusconi has completely destroyed Italy's economy and he is still somehow in power amid a 25% approval rating and being on trial for three seperate crimes. Considering the damage that has been done by Berlusconi, whoever comes to power next will have an impossible task if he wants to save the economy. Italy needs to take action to remove him from office so he does not do anymore damage to the country. His scandalous leadership has been tolerated to this point but it cannot continue. Italy's only hope, even though it is not much hope, is to get a new prime minister with a plan to save the economy. If no action is taken, Italy will follow Greece into economic failure.


Situation in Italy: If Berlusconi should by chance abandon the field now that would mean to give the leftists a clear run. That's is something he will never do and something the majority of the Italians are not able to afford. The alternative would be the takeover of the infamous Italian left. The problem of his succession will arise perhaps in 10 years in consideration of his age (74). At the moment, even in his field (centre-right), nobody is so qualified to take over from him (for a while there was Fini the former fascist who would have taken over from Berlusconi, but he has proved to be a turncoat and centre-right voters don’t trust him and have dropped him)…..let alone in the opposing party (the PD) which is swarming with inept, incompetent, inadequate personages.


Berlusconi represents the bulwark against the enemies of freedom and the sovereignty of the people, against those who, once more, are trying to subvert with violence and political use of the justice, the result of free elections. Here it is at stake not only the destiny of a man, but the present and the future of the liberty in Italy.


Silvio Berlusconi should be thrown out of office, because it is mainly his fault that the Italian economy is ruins. Berlusconi also represents the corruption that is taking place in Italy. It seems like most Italians don't want corruption anymore and want someone that can run the economy by cutting down the expenditures of Italy. Italy is having to take bailouts from China now to do how carelessly the government has been run by Berlusconi. A nation's leader should never be involved in any scandal or crime. He should be a role model for the people he leads.


Berlusconi cannot possibly be able to manage Italy's deteriorating economy in the midst of all he allegations against him and the trials that he will have to attend. Berlusconi seems to be unfit to govern Italy, a prime example of this is the fact that he is flying personal prostitutes around Italy on the tax payers dime. This flagrant use of government funds shows that he is not fit to be a leader of the country when he does not have the peoples best interest at heart.


It is without question Berlusconi is a liability to Italy. In addition to a country with economic troubles, they are now faced with an immoral leader and political turmoil. An approval rating of only 25% is almost unheard of! He is not the only problem in Italy though. Their economy is slowing and they recently turned to China for money! With all of this being said, the real question is who will be the next leader of Italy and how can they turn this country around from their current situation.


If Berlusconi is busy doing such tawdry things then how is he going to save his country. Soon Italy too will be asking China for a bailout because he is doing nothing to help Italy's failing economy, if anything he is to blame for it. I think that soon Italy will be bankrupt too if they don't do something fast.


These situations seem to be occurring a lot in politics- such as Anthony Weiner in the United States, sending nude photos of himself. I mean everyone is human and I am sure that a lot of people around the world do the same things such as sending nude photos and having relations with prostitutes, but these men choose a profession that doesn't allow them to make any of these life choices. If they wanted to engage in these activities then they should have chosen a different profession, and one that is not so in the lime light. Berlusconi is not helping his country out at all. I cannot believe he hasn't stepped down from power yet. There will be no way for him to focus on everything that he has right now. He won't be able to run his country properly while focusing on his trial preparations. Italy is in a downward spiral right now and Berlusconi will not be able to help the country get out of it. If a leader has an approval rating of less than 25%, no one in the country is taking him seriously.


Berlusconi is more of a liability for Italy than an asset right now. It is not possible for him to put all of his concentration on his job with all of his legal troubles. The best thing for him to do would be to step down so someone that can actually focus on the issues can work to get Italy out of this crisis they are in.


I think that Berlusconi needs to give it up. While the country is too busy focusing on all of the sandal and allegations surrounding their prime minister, their economy is on the decline, like many other European countries. Soon, if they do not get their governmental act together, they will turn into Greece and have to turn to China for economic support. Italy will slowly decline as a world power all because of some ignorant drama.


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