World

Rain (AM and PM) 6° London Hi 10°C / Lo 6°C

I'm no saint: Berlusconi breaks silence

Italian Prime Minister tries to laugh off sex-tape allegations

By Michael Day in Milan

Silvio Berlusconi's poll rating has fallen below 50 per cent for the first time

AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Silvio Berlusconi's poll rating has fallen below 50 per cent for the first time

In his first comments since the escort tape scandal broke, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday attempted to laugh off embarrassing revelations that have again put his sexual appetite at the centre of international debate. At the opening of a motorway construction site near the northern city of Brescia, he declared: "I am not a saint, you've all understood that – I hope the people at La Repubblica understand it too," referring to the left-leaning newspaper which has led the investigation into his dalliances with young starlets and showgirls.

On Tuesday, La Repubblica and its sister publication, the news weekly L'Espresso, published the latest conversations taped surreptitiously by Patrizia D'Addario which she claims prove that she and Mr Berlusconi had a sexual relationship. Ms D'Addario, a high-class escort, claims she and other women were paid to attend parties at Mr Berlusconi's residence in Rome.

Mr Berlusconi's lawyer, Nicolo Ghedini, denied the authenticity of the tapes, calling them "completely improbable and the fruit of invention".

In one recording, Giampaolo Tarantini, the Bari businessman who is said to have procured prostitutes for the parties, is heard telling Ms D'Addario about the 72-year-old Prime Minister's predilection for unprotected sex.

In another, Mr Berlusconi is purportedly heard telling Ms D'Addario that he is waiting for her on what he described enigmatically as "Putin's bed".

But yesterday Mr Berlusconi appeared determined to brazen the scandal out in his usual way. Noting that the new Brescia-Milan motorway was due to be opened in 2013, when his mandate ends, he quipped: "We will all still be around, because how could the Italians do without us?" Last night, the Industry Minister, Claudio Scajola, told reporters: "Even with this defamatory, awful, campaign that is damaging the image of our country, Silvio Berlusconi remains the leader with the broadest support in Europe."

In some quarters the alleged proof of Mr Berlusconi's "drill-like" sexual prowess contained in the tapes may actually have reinforced his support. But the tide of sleaze does seem to be taking its toll on his popularity.

An opinion poll published by La Repubblica on Tuesday showed his approval rating falling below 50 per cent for the first time since he won a landslide election victory last year. The Catholic vote is thought to be looking particularly precarious – one reason, perhaps, why he is said to be contemplating a pilgrimage to the shrine of Padre Pio in the far south.

Meanwhile, Emilio Marzano the chief prosecutor in the southern city of Bari, leading the investigation into the activities of Mr Tarantini – who is now suspected of supplying cocaine, as well as call girls – said he was in possession of another six tapes.

This raised the possibility that the tapes might also find their way into the hands of the press. Mr Marzano denied that any of the sex tapes had been leaked from his office.

Ms D'Addario says that she released the recordings because Mr Berlusconi had reneged on a promise to help her with a family building project. None of the tapes released so far bear out the claim that he made such a promise.

Post a Comment

View all comments that have been posted about this article.

Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP logged and may be used to prevent further submission. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by the Independent Minds Terms of Service.

Comments

Are Italian Catholics really so gullible ?
[info]rougnz wrote:
Thursday, 23 July 2009 at 07:32 am (UTC)
Berlusconi uses and abuses everything around him for his own gain.

He uses and abuses women to bolster his enormous vanity and declining virility.

He frequents Aquila in the hope that seemingly doing good will rehabilitate his tarnished image.

Now his PR people are seeming floating a trial balloon to see if trading on the countries Catholic populations belief system by associating with the popular Padre Pio , How calculated, how callous, how utterly disingenuous, how and how Berlusconi. Also how shamelessly desperate !

At the end of the day I do notthink the majority of Italians people are really that stupid.
Re: Are Italian Catholics really so gullible ?
[info]fuzz_box wrote:
Thursday, 23 July 2009 at 02:29 pm (UTC)
No, they are that hypocritical. This is a religion where a mass murderer can be forgiven on his death bed and so fly straight to heaven. It's also a country where a person can be guilty of defamation of character by telling the truth.
Having said that, I was told about all these sex scandals before they ever reached the press by a right wing Catholic, enraged by the fact that he voted for the right wing coalition and then they made a mockery of his faith.
If Silvio visits Padre Pio he should be prepared for a shock. Pio had a reputation of being able to see every sin hiding in a man's past. He would pass over people who were unworthy of taking Holy Communion.
Re: Are Italian Catholics really so gullible ?
[info]arthur_ide wrote:
Monday, 27 July 2009 at 06:52 pm (UTC)
The Roman Catholic Church, like the Russian Orthodox Church has committed more atrocities and murdered more people than Hitler's Nazis. The Roman Catholic Church gave full power over life and death to the infamous Inquisition (at its worse in Spain), while the Russian Orthodox Church, a pawn of the government after Peter "the Great" put to death when not uprooting and burning the homes of hundreds of thousands of Jews, and his successors killing over 10 million Jews in the name of their god and his alleged son. Religion has always been the greatest evil of mortals. As Hitler noted: "I say: my Christian feeling tells me that my lord and savior is a warrior. It calls my attention to the man who, lonely and surrounded by only a few supporters, recognized what they [the Jews] were, and called for a battle against them, and who, by God, was not the greatest sufferer, but the greatest warrior. . .

"As a human being it is my duty to see to it that humanity will not suffer the same catastrophic collapse as did that old civilization two thousand years ago, a civilization which was driven to its ruin by the Jews. . . I am convinced that I am really a devil and not a Christian if I do not feel compassion and do not wage war, as Christ did two thousand years ago, against those who are steeling and exploiting these poverty-stricken people.

"Two thousand years ago a man was similarly denounced by this particular race which today denounces and blasphememes all over the place. . . That man was dragged before a court and they said: he is arousing the people! So he, too, was an agitator!

( Adolf Hitler, in a speech delivered on April 12, 1922; from Charles Bracelen Flood, Hitler: The Path to Power, Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989, pp. 261-262. )
Ponzi Pontifications
[info]amanfrommars wrote:
Thursday, 23 July 2009 at 10:02 am (UTC)
The Roman Catholic church's silence on the matter makes a mockery of them and renders them as supporters of what they would normally profess to be sinful and unaccepable behaviour, but they do have a perverse history of such hypocrisy and double standards.
the majority of Italians people are really that stupid?
[info]zappin_it wrote:
Thursday, 23 July 2009 at 03:21 pm (UTC)
They aren't, actually, not all, at least, but who's against the psychodwarf from (h)Ar(d)core is definitely minority, presently and unfortunately.

There are several reasons for Italians to appear "that stupid", if seen from the outside, but the main power that makes them apparently doped, stoned, blind, idiot if you like, is the tv-set.

It took more than 20 years to boil all Italian brains with a certain soup of broadcasting, purposely planned to convince people that the only truth is "as seen on tv", destroying, day by day, the history, the culture and the plainness... if now on tv someone says that donkeys fly, they believe it.

You have BBC, you can't understand, we have Mediaset, while RAI (public tv) has been now expropriated, too, placing at the top level almost only psychodwarf's servants, who either tell us lies or simply hide the uncomfortable news.

Moreover, Italian people -do believe- that the Big Brother exists: it's the most seen "reality" show on the screens! unfortunately, lesser know or maybe just remember Mr. Orwell... his name and works have been overwritten by the tv format.

The brain-cooking works, indeed.

If I remember Mr. Orwell and perceive that all his most inauspicious foresights have been realized, it's just because I switched off the tv-set many years ago and get the news only from (trusted, independent) radio stations and from the Internet, with the only filter of my own brain.

Sorry for the others...
I'm no saint: Berlusconi breaks silence First the small small small small 8 yeras girls then Silnce
[info]famulla wrote:
Thursday, 23 July 2009 at 02:52 pm (UTC)
YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FREE TICKET TO HEAVEN ON SUNDAY AT 12am for 2 minutes to ssee the angles and compare what you missed in heaven Hell has all the whores broads prostitutes But I guess you are used to this taste. Please take some hot sauce with you and ice as the the ass is roasted . The two horned guys one with the net wires and the one with the hot roads. I see they look for the golf holes ? why The goafers are there also? Or Is it the loafers.amanfrommars wrote: You are right The court sees and then only takes the cases Pop is far. The Roman Catholic church's silence on the matter makes a mockery of them and renders them as supporters of what they would normally profess to be sinful and unaccepable behaviour, but they do have a perverse history of such hypocrisy and double standards. Adultry is like GAYS from back THat is not sin? Many have the tickets to the pradise so they say

I am faithfully yours firozali a mulla
I accept this I'm no saint: Berlusconi breaks silence
[info]famulla wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 02:21 am (UTC)
MARA CARFAGNA: The TV showgirl who became Silvio Berlusconi's Minister for Equal Opportunities. Carfagna, 33, known by the Italian media as 'Mara la Bella', has been a Miss Italy contestant, a showgirl on Berlusconi's Mediaset TV, and a model. After she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies with Forza Italia in 2006, Berlusconi controversially said that he would marry her if he wasn't already married. His wife made him apologise publicly .
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/51073,features,pictures-photographs-silvio-berlusconi-women-girls-italy-prime-minister-sex-scandal?DCMP=NLC-daily
I thank you
Firozali A. Mulla
Re: I accept this I'm no saint: Berlusconi breaks silence
[info]citizengc wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 01:57 pm (UTC)
Which narcotic specifically do you use? Must be very powerful...
Re: I accept this I'm no saint: Berlusconi breaks silence
[info]famulla wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 04:51 pm (UTC)
The fags. Oh they are Havana I hate them but Catro send these to me cannot refuse Want some? I write to him He knows you
mistification,lies from left wing or ex communist in ruin!!!
[info]thruth34 wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 08:06 pm (UTC)
if Prodi or Gordon Brown would have been taped illegally in a moment of their private life or intimacy, no leftist media woul have reveal it, with Sircana prodi spokesman no one dared to publish the photos and the disgusting man was talking to a transexual fixing a good rate or dalema sex gate in 1999 and his friends cesa and company no leftist newspaper reported it.Repubblica espresso are owned by carlo debenedetti fierce enemy of silvio berlusconi and thanks to murdoch media he can send the same junk news abroad, murdoch is another fierce enemy of silvio so the game is over people know it very well. It's not Watergate, because SB didn't spy his political opponents ( but he was spied), it's not a Clinton sexgate because D'Addario is not a stagiste in White House and SB's house isn't Palazzo Chigi. This shows only that SB's enemies have no weapons against him but gossip, and use these idiot methods. Britain is a Nato country and it's better Brits remember former Italian communists now they prefer to be called PD democratic party ahaah, were allies to Soviet Union and took money from Soviet Union during cold war and this money was used against Western countries. It was not only money for propaganda, but for anything useful during a war and they were linked to criminals and terrorists such as Brigate rosse, and they put them even into italian parliament like many partigiani "red partisan" who once ended the 2 world war killed more than 40.000 italians claiming they were fascists the truth was they only wanted to take their houses and money or wanted to take revenge for affairs developed before war started and used the fascist excuse. Borsellino was a man near the former Msi, the former fascist party, and Falcone was near the socialists, both considered enemies by the Italian communists. Repubblica tries to save the old former communist lobbies: if the Times,guardian,independent, pais, le monde etc etc keep on helping these lobbies and above all if they go on covering the red rotten system in Italy made up of lobbies and banks they are only to be put into the garbage.
red power, lies and garbage=PD or ex communist!!
[info]thruth34 wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 08:10 pm (UTC)
It's interesting that the left attacks Berlusconi for his infidelities, yet they have always given Bill Clinton a free pass. shitty Hypocrites and what about togliatti sex life or sircana filmed with a transexual,um or vendola or grillini or niki vendola luxuria all communist or leftist involved in sexual scandal but no one cared about their rotten sexual behaviors umm ok they can just becaouse they are leftist and communist only berlusconi is to blame and put to hell ahahahah shitty clawns!!!.
Re: red power, lies and garbage=PD or ex communist!!
[info]arthur_ide wrote:
Monday, 27 July 2009 at 06:42 pm (UTC)
Bill Clinton was never given "a free pass". He was impeached by Congress (acquitted by the Senate). You need to study history before making wrong statements. Do you have even a modest understanding of Italian history--or is it as weak as your knowledge of USA history.
just think about your sex life!!!
[info]thruth34 wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 08:15 pm (UTC)
What the Italian prime minister does with his body is his own business...as long as he carries out his duties.
VIVA SILVIO BERLUSCONI!!! SILVIO FOREVER!!!!
[info]thruth34 wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 08:17 pm (UTC)
Berlusconi is not the first political leader in the world to become famous also for women affairs and certainly will not be the last beacause human nature cannot be changed. I am referring specifically to JF Kennedy and Clinton as they have been Presidents of the USA and therefore better known but certainly similar cases have happened also in smaller countries. Well in these cases there have not been all the press and other media attacks as for Berlusconi because in our Premier case there is the deliberate intention of making his Governement fall. Why? History will say it.
BEHIND THE PLOT ARETHE RED LOBBIES
[info]thruth34 wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 08:28 pm (UTC)
Maurizio Oxford: do you want I remember it that Italian media, universities, publishign houses, are still under the controll of the former communists? Our judges are connected TO the left. Do you now Giancarlo Caselli,BORRELLI WERE the judgeS LINKED to the Communist Party,often closed their eyes towards Red Brigades or released them after only few months because they were companions of the same battle! dirty communists i understand your disappointment about the demolition of Berlin Wall and of Soviet Union, but you must realize that this is reality. your world is luckily ended here in western europe go to cuba or china or north corea there you can join all the genocydes or massacres because there they go on killing and devastating is the only thing communists can do and they are unbeatable
berlusconi 72 years old and still screwing!!!!! waw!
[info]thruth34 wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 08:31 pm (UTC)
Where do you live?? Always talking about berlusconi., there are no democratic people they are followers of the ancient communist party the so called PD partito democratico ahahah they are democratic like fidel castro in italy communist have been defeated by silvio berlusconi namely rifondazione comunista e il partito dei comunisti italiani these 2 communist parties were still alive 3 years ago allied to PD the so called democratic party the party of red brigatists and terrorists, and thanks to berlusconi they were rejected from italian parliament now there is pd and idv these two parties are much worse tha the ex communist party simply because they are a company party the party of coop rosse a big lobby run by PD soldiers they have great advantages ranging from fiscal benefits to laws ad aziendam a real conflict of interest but htey go on saying berlusconi is bad is hitler,ahahhh!! bloody clawns!! The majority of italian people voted silvio berlusconi because they are totally against red lobbies belonging to PD the so called ex communist,We'd just like to get rid of all red power that still exists in italy from many communists magistrates wasting public money to try to get a golpe a putch against Silvio berlusconi,but in vain because the italian nation is anticommunist by nature thanks to anglo-american we defeated both nazi and communist and berlusconi gave the last hit after 50 years no one else would have dared so much soon afterward silvio entered the political arena the red power triggered all his servants from magistrates to journalist to comics just to destroy him result berlusconi DESTROYED THEM AND THE MAJORITY OF ITALIANS SUPPORTED HIM, YEAA!!: the shame is that despite that all the media with some exceptions (rete 4 and il giornale) are still red oriented, all the junk news come from la repubblica,espresso owned by carlo debenedetti on of the greatest enemy of silvio berluscony a real shark, a bloody tycoon HACKING and spying all his enemies included silvio, and the rest of the media such as unità manifesto messaggero stampa corriere della sera follow debenedetti media they are a copy of those junk media, and if you add murdoch media the game is over murdoch is like debenedetti first enemy of silvio and the news on murdoch's newspaper are a copy of debenedetti newspaper,so all about berlusconi coming from those media are rotten, junk news trying to manipulate people brains, Italian put those big lies and manipolations where the sun doesn't shine, infact, now, Berlusconi is stronger than before.What has left in italy of the left party is tonino di pietro from idv a real mafioso who is cannibalising PD now he is helped by beppe grillo another gold digger trying to make money insulting anyone above all silvio hids favorite target, in conclusion the left in italy is a bunch of lobbies and banks such as monte dei paschi di siena unipol and coop rosse they only resist in very delimited area the so called red regions, but even there they suffered from great debacles ahah,to the remaining left i can only give a good advice, just go to cuba or north corea or china with your very democratic red companions among genocydes and massacres you red are very good at killing people so what are you waiting for??? just take a one way ticket to your realm dirty bastards!!, italian will go on voting SILVIO BERLUSCONI and the freedom party, we will defend him till death!!!! watch out we are over 15 million people!!!! PS we cannot accept lessons of democracy from who shared communism or still share communism and now only by convenience wants to be called democratic party, return to your realms of devastation,misery,and genocydes!!! italy has chosen freedom, liberty!!!!!!!!! UN mega grazie a SILVIO BERLUSCONI!!! SILVIO FOREVER!!!!!!!
Re: berlusconi 72 years old and still screwing!!!!! waw!
[info]arthur_ide wrote:
Monday, 27 July 2009 at 06:41 pm (UTC)
Italians also had Mussolini--there is no difference between the two men. Italy is heading for another catastrophe, and if Italians keep voting for this monster, there is no help for Italy.
all italy is with silvio move back!!! silvio is fabulous
[info]thruth34 wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 08:36 pm (UTC)
One of these is apparently a 'pillow talk' recording, in other words made in the bedroom. Which makes me think it's a fake. Where was the tape recorder? Where were the two of them? Standing? If so where was the tape recorder hidden? Lying down? Again where was the tape recorder hidden? if the two of them were any distance apart from each other, as it sounds like, the recording would have been inaudible. She would have to have had the most modern expensive and sensitive directional recording equipment about her person to achieve anything discernable.
In conclusion is on of the the usual junk news from la repubblica or espresso whose ownner is CARLO DEBENEDETTI berlusconi's first enemy, so nothing new under the sun but bullshit, the leftist media send every day already translated, to murdoch's media shit news about berlusconi, infact 99% of this news is fake news 1% only unprobable, so all the world knows is the old same ridiculous story a ?failed campaign? by the leftist newspapers such as La repubblica espresso,junk newspapers trying to discredit Berlusconi, and you know what the only result is a stronger berlusconi!!! ahahahah poor idiots!!
the envy is a bad beast but silvio killed it!
[info]thruth34 wrote:
Friday, 24 July 2009 at 08:38 pm (UTC)
What's the fuss about? I agree Italy would be in serious danger without SILVIO owing to communist or ex and their corrupted sytem lasted for more than 63 years, thanks to berlusconi they have been rejected from italian parliamment, the red power in italy occupied every station of power from culture,media,cinema,radio to" magistratura or Csm or corte costituzionale" the left put his servants in all these very strategic places,that's why berlusconi is still under agression by those communist magistrates who stiil think to destroy him by false or inexistent accusations or by hitting him with stupid gossip but why are people bothered about who he sleeps with? He's getting old, he's full of money and he's having sex with nice looking young women. Many of the men that post here would do the same. In fact, many English MPs do the same. This has nothing to do with politics, if you wanna attack the politician berlusconi then do so politically, but is useless because Silvio's policy both abroad and in italy is perfect, so those who hate berlusconi are only jealous of his lifestyle and would want to do the same ahahah poor idiots berlusconi deserved all this when you were drinking beers and farting he worked as a dog now after 45 years of hard work he has fun great fun but not before having his duty for his own country and for the world.Berlusconi is a great statesman, he built a new italy and solved many problem from red garbage in campania to earthquake in abruzzo and what about G8? it has been one of the best in 25 years.
Re: the envy is a bad beast but silvio killed it!
[info]zappin_it wrote:
Saturday, 25 July 2009 at 12:17 am (UTC)
hey, thruth34, I'm rather curious...

what are you smoking? I would gladly try a couple of puffs: maybe I could see, me too, your little-little boss flying, by day and with no helicopter.

talking about helicopters... Emperor Caligula made his horse a consul: as you're well informed, do you know, by chance, when your boss will nominate his helicopter for the Senate?

that's the last one thing left to do... to forget is not fair, too, as his lawyers and concubines are already all Ministers, Senators and Deputates.
Re: the envy is a bad beast but silvio killed it!
[info]arthur_ide wrote:
Monday, 27 July 2009 at 06:46 pm (UTC)
Caligula also had sex with his horse, as he did with pre-teenage girls and boys. Berlusconi, as far as we know, only has had sex with underage girls, but will be we informed soon of his sexcapades with pre-teen boys next?
I'm no saint: Berlusconi breaks silence
[info]famulla wrote:
Monday, 27 July 2009 at 05:49 am (UTC)
When is the next one, I mean the girl coming?
I have a good taste for all.
IS that bad when you have false teeeef.
I thank you
Firozali A. Mulla
Berlusconi is a disgrace
[info]arthur_ide wrote:
Monday, 27 July 2009 at 06:27 pm (UTC)
He uses Italian treasury money for whores. He pays pandering prostitutes to cater to guests at parties. He puts sex above the interest of the people. He definitely is no saint, rightfully admitted, but he is far worse than a demigogue, for he feels he is entitled to lie, cheat, steal, and destroy the proud heritage and history of a once great nation: Italy. Berlusconi should resign or be impeached for numerous reasons, but chiefly because he lacks all veracity, credibility, and refinement. He is nothing more than a flagrant fool. The the Roman Catholic Church in Italy stays quiet shows that this cult has lost all credibility and reliability in standing for justice and the protection and advance of women. I wonder what prelate or priest is pardoning Berlusconi. It is time that Roman Catholics throughout Europe renounce, denounce and break all ties with Berlusconi and his Italy.
Berlusconi and the Roman Catholic Church
[info]arthur_ide wrote:
Monday, 27 July 2009 at 06:39 pm (UTC)
Berlusconi is identical to Adolf Hitler, and both claim(ed) to be loyal and devout sons of the Roman Catholic Church. "I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so." ( Adolf Hitler, from John Toland [Pulitzer Prize winner], Adolf Hitler, New York: Anchor Publishing, 1992, p. 507. ) Both Hitler and Berlusconi, while admitting neither was a saint, claim(ed) that each was doing the work of his god: "I may not be a light of the church, a pulpiteer, but deep down I am a pious man, and believe that whoever fights bravely in defense of the natural laws framed by God and never capitulates will never be deserted by the Lawgiver, but will, in the end, receive the blessings of Providence." ( Adolf Hitler, in a speech delivered on July 5, 1944; from Charles Bracelen Flood, Hitler: The Path to Power, , Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989, p. 208. ) The Roman Catholic Church's silence, under the loathsome and evil Pius XII is nothing less than the silence of Benedict XVI--two men more vile than most pontiffs.

Most popular in Europe

Article Archive

Day In a Page

Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat

Select date