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Italy's Wacky Host
Nevertheless, Berlusconi’s armor is showing visible cracks. The scandal-ridden prime minister, who has beaten a half-dozen corruption charges in his two-decade political career, is facing his biggest challenge to date with charges that he paid high-priced prostitutes to staff orgies at his Sardinian villa. He has answered the charges by dodging them. “Italians like me this way,” he told one of his news outlets recently. “I have never paid for sex,” he told another. “There is no pleasure without conquest.”
His excuses are not going over well with the leaders—or with their spouses. These international summits are archaically organized, with the leaders attending high-level meetings and their spouses attending cultural events organized by the host country’s first lady.
But because Berlusconi’s wife is divorcing him over rumors that he was involved with an 18-year-old lingerie model in Naples, he was forced to assign the role of hostess to a trusted colleague. In true form, he chose 33-year-old Mara Carfagna, a former topless model who serves as his equal-opportunities minister, and with whom he has been rumored to be romantically involved. He once told her at a public meeting, “If I weren’t already married, I’d run off with you immediately.”
But even if his political future is in question, the 72-year-old prime minister did succeed in bringing attention and money to this area. Funds earmarked for G-8 events have ensured that basic infrastructure such as roads and utilities are in place here.
Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who is attending the meeting as part of an African delegation, has pitched his signature Beduoin tent in a field adjacent to the police quarters where the leaders are staying. But when the summit is over, he will fold up his tent and go home. For the thousands of displaced residents of this region who aren’t expected to have permanent housing until September at the earliest, their tents will remain long after the world leaders have departed.
Barbie Latza Nadeau has reported from Italy for Newsweek magazine since 1997. She also writes for CNN Traveller, Budget Travel magazine and Frommer's.
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Barbie Latza Nadeau has reported from Italy for Newsweek Magazine since 1997. She also writes for CNN Traveller, Budget Travel Magazine and Frommer's.
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Barbie Latza Nadeau has reported from Italy for Newsweek Magazine since 1997. She also writes for CNN Traveller, Budget Travel Magazine and Frommer's.
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Barbie Latza Nadeau has reported from Italy for Newsweek Magazine since 1997. She also writes for CNN Traveller, Budget Travel Magazine and Frommer's.
Wow.
There are actually worse leaders out there, democratically elected, than anything the US has put up with in a while.
And cleverer ones too.
"But as world leaders surveyed the quake damage, Berlusconi's plan appeared to be paying off. Any glitches in the arrangements were easy to forgive against a backdrop of rubble."
And highly symbolic of the worldwide economic mess.
Zany would be more accurate than wacky.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanni
Isn't Berlusconi's behavior oddly similar to Bill Clinton's. And I'm having a hard time recalling just why it is that any of Clinton's G(x) meetings weren't disparaged by the same merits. Oh that's right, the international press hates Berlusconi and they love Bill, and anyway Hilary is beyond shame.
As it is sadly not unusual for this blog site, the most intelligent and informed comments/information is found in the readers' comments, not in the articles written by the contributors.
More specifically, what puzzles me (am Italian, but lived/live also in Germany, UK, and NorthAmerica, and am certainly not a supporter of Mr. Berlusconi) most since decades is the complete lack of ability of journalists (and diplomats, too, but let's keep this apart) to achieve even a basic understanding of Italy and it's people. It does not seem to get better with time, for example Mrs. Nadeu claims to have been reporting from Italy for Newsweek since 1997...Or is there some other agenda or ideology behind this?
Not at all similar. Bill had enough shame (using the word loosely) to try and lie about it. Berlusconi when confronted about such matters seems only further provoked to let us all know about it. To even brag about it.
Clinton is just not in the same league. Berlusconi is in the Majors with the Mediccis and the Borgias.
The sex stuff is peanuts, the problem is the extensive use of public office for personal gain.
You can bet the spouses of the leaders attending the G8 have their husbands and wives on a short leash. No fun at summer camp this year.
Thank you.
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