Berlusconi vows to arrive for work as Italian PM

Guardian ^ | April 24, 2006 | Barbara McMahon

[West Coast Conservative]

Still refusing to concede defeat in the Italian general election, Silvio Berlusconi put on another bravura performance at the weekend by serenading his supporters and then threatening to paralyse the incoming government.

The former cruise ship crooner took to the stage in a hotel restaurant in Trieste in northern Italy, singing a medley of Neapolitan ballads. He also treated his audience, who applauded wildly, to a song he said he had composed in the wake of the election result, in which he talks about going to live on a tropical island.

Afterwards he returned to attacking Romano Prodi, whose centre-left camp narrowly won the election two weeks ago and whose victory has been upheld by two Italian courts. Mr Berlusconi said the incoming coalition of nine parties would be unable to govern, adding that he would arrive for work as normal at the prime minister's office when the new parliamentary session opened on Friday. "The centre-left won't be able to govern, they are just passers-by. Without our accord in the senate, not even one provision will pass," he said.

Tony Blair and the leaders of China, Russia, the US, Argentina, Japan and all of the major European countries have formally telephoned Mr Prodi to offer congratulations. Mr Berlusconi has shrugged off the calls, saying they reflect Italy's good standing on the world stage.

[oolatec]

The Al Gore of Italy.

[PetroniusMaximus]

"The Al Gore of Italy."

Yea, but Bush's ally.

[jerryem]

Never, don't even think of this man as a politician, he is a self made billionaire and self made billionaires don't ever take no for an answer, thats why they have there billions and you and I are still picking peanuts, besides this is Italian politics, and he is right, a coalition of 9 political parties in Italy is like a chicken house with 8 roosters and 1 hen. Prod-me (if I fall asleep) has communists, reformed Communists, greens, the far far leftists, (thats way out in the boondocks from commietown) and the worlds only flat earth party, yep, Prod-me ( if I fall asleep ) says that he is going to ride the Italian stallion for 5 years with his 24,500 majority, don't wake him up, he will realise that he is disillusioned

[globalheater]

Berlusconi is afraid he might be incapable of changing the law in case he get's convicted again.

That risk is high indeed.

[jerryem]

Berlusconi will never get convicted, the leader of the pack of magistrates that is trying to convict him has his own problems, like how he got his new M/Benz, or where did the apartment that he lives in arrive from, and with the amount of money Berlusconi has he can tell these corrupt lawmakers,, at the next corner I am going to stop the world, please get off!

[globalheater]

that's what he's trying at the moment - i think it's pathetic. He's lost allready but he's the last one who get's it.