In a CNN interview recorded in May but broadcast yesterday, Silvio Berlusconi has admitted that he doesn’t really like his job but stays in it out of a sense of duty, seeing himself as “the only leader able to hold the centre-right together”. He also confessed that leading the government of a country like Italy makes for a difficult life.
When CNN’s Paula Newton asked the Italian Premier about his famous gaffes, he responded that he had never made any because they were all invented by the media. He added that he tells jokes which are intended to be heard by everyone and that he always thinks before he speaks. He explained that when he was accused of keeping German Chancellor Angela Merkel waiting by the Rhine he was, in fact, taking on the phone to the Turkish Prime Minister and that Mrs Merkel had understood and joked about the situation. Queen Elizabeth 11, reportedly momentarily startled when Mr Berlusconi shouted across to President Obama at Buckingham Palace, later defended him, he said in the interview.
However, a more recent Berlusconi gaffe has caused over 99,000 Italian women to sign a petition saying that they were offended by his now famous remark to opposition politician Rosy Bindi on live TV,
“You are more beautiful than intelligent”.
Organised by the La Repubblica newspaper, the petition states,
“This man offends women and democracy. Let’s stop him.”
The latest gaffe may have occurred last night, for Mr Berlusconi is now accused of snubbing King Abdullah 11 of Jordan, whom he was scheduled to meet, in order to attend Vladimir Putin’s belated birthday party near St Petersburg. La Repubblica reports that the Premier is carrying fine wines as a gift for Mr Putin , whose spokesman has confirmed that the visit is a private one, though “with working content”.
Asked in the interview about the secret of his success, Mr Berlusconi replied that he is open, loyal and extremely hard-working.
