Premier Silvio Berlusconi on Thursday said a law passed this week giving him immunity from prosecution while he holds office was ''the least that a democracy could do in defence of its freedom''. The so-called Alfano law, which applies to Italy's four institutional figures, was given the final green light by President Giorgio Napolitano on Wednesday, but has been criticised by opposition politicians as being tailor-made to help the premier wriggle free from ongoing corruption trials against him.
Berlusconi told journalists on Thursday that the law would put an end to the ''unacceptable persecution'' he has undergone since he first entered politics in 1994, mainly revolving around probes into his multimedia empire.
''In Italy there is a section of the magistrature that is dedicated to undermining the election results and wishes of the Italian people,'' he said.
''From June 30 to July 15 this year, the prime minister of Italy was supposed to be attending hearings every other day, in addition to the 2,503 I've had to go to in the last 14 years. I couldn't have called a cabinet meeting or gone to the G8 (in Japan),'' he added.
Berlusconi claims to have spent over 174 million euros on his legal battles, which have never seen him get a definitive conviction, sometimes because of legal changes he had introduced by parliament.
After the Alfano law was passed on Wednesday evening, the premier said he would ''finally be able to spend my Saturdays working instead of talking to my lawyers''.
FURIOUS CRITICISM FROM OPPOSITION.
Berlusconi's remarks seem to put pay to hints that he might waive his immunity and go ahead with the trials in order to appease opposition criticism that he was using parliament for personal ends.
On Wednesday Berlusconi's Undersecretary Paolo Bonaiuti said it was ''true'' that the premier was thinking of going ahead with the trials, adding, ''We'll see''.
Responding to journalist's questions on Thursday, the premier limited himself to saying he had ''in vain'' offered to forgo benefits from another measure that would have automatically frozen for a year trials for all but the most serious crimes.
Amid furious criticism from the opposition and magistrates, the government eventually toned down the measure so that individual judges can make their own decisions about suspending non-priority trials for 18 months.
''Berlusconi isn't going to waive a damn thing,'' scoffed Italy of Values opposition leader Antonio Di Pietro.
''Instead, he gets double the immunity: five years with the Alfano law instead of 18 months, with the trial freeze measure,'' he added.
Opposition politicians including Democratic Party leader Walter Veltroni continued to refer to the new law as immoral and unconstitutional on Thursday.
Two ongoing cases against Berlusconi are suspended under the law.
In one trial, the prime minister is accused of paying British corporate lawyer David Mills a $600,000 bribe to hush up incriminating evidence in earlier trials.
In a second, Berlusconi and 11 other defendants stand accused of fraud over film rights relating to Berlusconi's private TV network company Mediaset.
The premier and all other defendants deny wrongdoing.
