Silvio Berlusconi refuses to quit in Italy sex scandal

[Gerald]

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has told his People of Freedom party he has no intention of resigning over allegations he had sex with an under-age prostitute.

Mr Berlusconi also accused magistrates investigating the case of illegally spying on him.

"I am not running away and I am not resigning," he said in a telephone call to a meeting of his party. Mr Berlusconi insists the allegations are politically motivated.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12260299


Note: 22 January 2011 Last updated at 21:53 GMT

[jumpy]

The girl in question was 17 at the time but said she was 24, from what I've heard. Odd that - where does that leave 'responsibility'? It certainly looks difficult to tell she was 'under age' for a prosie, judging by the picture of her in the linked article.

If it was the UK, I can't see there being any questions regarding the girl being 'under age' as consent here is 16, except perhaps for money exchanging hands specifically for sex, but how do you prove that?. This doesn't answer the issue of a prominent government figure attracting all the wrong sort of attention to his position, detracting from his responsibility to his job etc; 'behaviour bringing his position into disrepute'. Really he ought to have had more sense than to risk speculation over activity like this hehe.

Also in relation to this story, the pope had some digs on 'ethics/morality'... well forget all that stuff about priests bumming little kids and getting away with it and the pope/church might have had a point.

[Jimbuna]

So what's new....the guy is and always has been of questionnable character!!

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

So what's new....the guy is and always has been of questionnable character!!

Nothing is new,except your statement

[nikimcbee]

Did he wag his finger and say I did not have sex with that woman.

[Catfish]

Betray the whole world, ordering to kill people, a convicted pedophile, Mafia boss, controlling all the media - why should he ever leave office ? It's like Putin with a "Bella Figura" complex. Berlusconi will only quit when he's dead.
But maybe they will install a virtual puppet in his name, and his avatar will rule on forever

Must be hard, he will have to stop swallowing when he feels his ar$ehole in his throat after all this face lifting, hair surgery and rejuvenation sillies

Greetings,
Catfish

[Castout]

Berlusconi probably owes his sex life to Viagra. Now dictators around the world could hope to have sex with very young girls all the way to their ripe old age.

I'd be ashamed if I was an Italian but grateful at the same time that Italian press and institution and political opposition to Berlusconi have the freedom and courage and idealism to shed this into light(unlike in some countries most notably some ASEAN member nations). All is not hopeless, dump the man he should run playboy instead a country. He'd like it better too. It's a win-win solution.

When the winter is out the parliamentary members should wear boxer pants to the parliamentary every time if the man still refuses to step down.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

So what's new....the guy is and always has been of questionnable character!!

One thing's for sure, Ed Milliband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are so boring you never see them doing that sort of thing.

[papa_smurf]

Originally Posted by STEED

One thing's for sure, Ed Milliband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are so boring you never see them doing that sort of thing.

That would certainly liven up UK politics

[Castout]

Mr Berlusconi is saying he's going to sex on!

[Gerald]

He is freaked out, which belongs to his image, what more can be said, and then to his "balls" have their own life

[Feuer Frei!]

This is the seventh sex scandal in which Mr Berlusconi has been personally implicated.
His lawyers argue that the Milan prosecutors have no right to investigate the alleged offences, since his villa lies outside the city’s judicial boundaries.
The only way that they could topple the prime minister would seem to run through the courts.

[Skybird]

I saw on TV a short report that some male porn"star" compared himself to Berlusconi.

Or did he compare Berlusconi to himself? I just can't remember that anymore.

Anyhow, Italians got what they deserved. The voted him into power, right, repeatedly and against knowing it better. So they should not complain. With him they got what they wanted - the full package.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by STEED

One thing's for sure, Ed Milliband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are so boring you never see them doing that sort of thing.

Are you sure?

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Anyhow, Italians got what they deserved. The voted him into power, right, repeatedly and against knowing it better. So they should not complain. With him they got what they wanted - the full package.

The prosecutors believe they have enough proof to have Mr Berlusconi indicted without a pre-trial hearing.
The mechanisms that drive out politicians elsewhere do not really apply in Italy.
Most political leaders in other countries are persuaded to go before any charges reach the courts by their own followers “for the good of the party”. But since the electoral law introduced by Mr Berlusconi’s previous government in 2005 makes Italian parliamentarians dependent for re-election entirely on their party leaders, who decide where to place candidates on the party lists, such rebellions are almost impossible to organise. This is especially true in the prime minister’s People of Freedom (PdL) movement, many of whose parliamentarians owe their political careers to Mr Berlusconi.
He may seek a new mandate to crush the independence of the judiciary in an election that might threaten the very foundations of his 150-year-old country.
Poor Italy.