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| Silvio Berlusconi's furious debate glues Italy to television | Silvio Berlusconi's furious debate glues Italy to television |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Silvio Berlusconi once again managed to monopolise the Italian general election campaign in a furious television confrontation that showed some things have not changed in Italy since crowds watched with morbid fascination during the bloodshed at the Colosseum. | Silvio Berlusconi once again managed to monopolise the Italian general election campaign in a furious television confrontation that showed some things have not changed in Italy since crowds watched with morbid fascination during the bloodshed at the Colosseum. |
| Fastening millions of Italians to their TVs after dinner, Berlusconi strode into the arena of his most implacable media adversary. Michele Santoro, a presenter on the independent La7 channel, has been a thorn in the media tycoon's side for years and has personal reasons for hating him. | Fastening millions of Italians to their TVs after dinner, Berlusconi strode into the arena of his most implacable media adversary. Michele Santoro, a presenter on the independent La7 channel, has been a thorn in the media tycoon's side for years and has personal reasons for hating him. |
| In 2002 Berlusconi – then Italy's prime minister – was accused of getting Santoro dropped from the state-owned RAI network after he publicly accused him of making "criminal use" of television. Though he lost on many points during Thursday night's show, Berlusconi did not – as many had expected – lose his temper and storm out. | In 2002 Berlusconi – then Italy's prime minister – was accused of getting Santoro dropped from the state-owned RAI network after he publicly accused him of making "criminal use" of television. Though he lost on many points during Thursday night's show, Berlusconi did not – as many had expected – lose his temper and storm out. |
| But in a climactic slanging match, he did succeed in infuriating Santoro to the point that the presenter refused to shake his hand. The broad smile that spread over the conservative leader's face suggested he thought he had won a set, if not the match. | But in a climactic slanging match, he did succeed in infuriating Santoro to the point that the presenter refused to shake his hand. The broad smile that spread over the conservative leader's face suggested he thought he had won a set, if not the match. |
| By then, a tense and often visibly angry Berlusconi had been repeatedly thrown on to the defensive by Santoro's interviewers. What must have made it even worse for the host of the bunga bunga parties was that both his tormentors were young women. | |
| The former prime minister was even made to admit a mistake. Berlusconi, who resigned after losing his parliamentary majority in November 2011, has alleged he was the victim of a plot by the German authorities. Among these claims has been that the Bundesbank, the German central bank, ordered the sale of Italian government bonds to drive up Italy's borrowing costs and pitch the country into the eye of the eurozone debt storm shortly before he was forced from office. | The former prime minister was even made to admit a mistake. Berlusconi, who resigned after losing his parliamentary majority in November 2011, has alleged he was the victim of a plot by the German authorities. Among these claims has been that the Bundesbank, the German central bank, ordered the sale of Italian government bonds to drive up Italy's borrowing costs and pitch the country into the eye of the eurozone debt storm shortly before he was forced from office. |
| But, as one of the journalists showed, the sell order came from Deutsche Bank, a commercial institution. Berlusconi said it must have been a slip of the tongue. | But, as one of the journalists showed, the sell order came from Deutsche Bank, a commercial institution. Berlusconi said it must have been a slip of the tongue. |
| Comments on Twitter underlined that he also upset many younger and less well-off voters when – mocking Santoro – he accused him of having attended evening classes instead of going to university. But then, as Berlusconi had said before the programme: "However it goes, it'll go well for me." | |
| His technique since the start of the campaign has been to make sure that every single day there is a reason for the media and the voters to be talking about him. Last week, it was presentation of his new puppy, Puggy. Before that, the emergence of his new girlfriend. | |
| What everyone will now be talking about this weekend is the final act of his row with Santoro, which was over the various libel convictions of the programme's star commentator, Marco Travaglio, a columnist of the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. Taking Travaglio's chair afterwards, Berlusconi whipped out a handkerchief and theatrically cleaned the seat before planting himself on it. | What everyone will now be talking about this weekend is the final act of his row with Santoro, which was over the various libel convictions of the programme's star commentator, Marco Travaglio, a columnist of the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. Taking Travaglio's chair afterwards, Berlusconi whipped out a handkerchief and theatrically cleaned the seat before planting himself on it. |