Former premier Silvio Berlusconi continues to leave other political leaders floundering in the cash stakes, tax statements released on Tuesday confirmed.
With more than 28 million euros in pre-tax income, the billionaire media magnate was streets ahead of other leaders whose incomes ranged between 90,000 and 290,000 euros.
The tax statements for 2005 showed that Berlusconi's earnings shot up that year compared to 2004, when he declared 3.5 million euros.
Premier Romano Prodi, who narrowly beat Berlusconi in last year's general election, was the 'poorest' political leader in the House with a 2005 taxable income of 89,514 euros.
Francesco Nucara, who heads the tiny Republican movement PRI, was the second wealthiest House party chief with earnings of almost 290,000 euros.
Centrist, Catholic UDC leader Pierferdinando Casini, a former Berlusconi ally, was in third place with just under 215,000 euros.
Following close behind was Gianfranco Fini, former foreign minister and leader of the rightist National Alliance, with 200,000.
Public Works Minister Antonio Di Pietro, a former anti-graft prosecutor who now leads the small centrist Italy of Values party, weighed in in seventh place with almost 188,000, closely followed by House Speaker Fausto Bertinotti, who in 2005 was leader of the Communist Refoundation Party.
Democratic Left Chairman and Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, whose party is the largest in the governing alliance, claimed ninth place with 174,000 euros.
Culture Minister and centrist Daisy party chief Francesco Rutelli, who was defeated by Berlusconi in the 2001 general election, was third from bottom in the rankings with 132,500 euros.
Among the almost 30 government ministers, the richest by far in 2005 was Giuliano Amato, who is now interior minister, with more than 420,000 euros.
The least well-off was current Welfare Minister Paolo Ferrero, who earned little more than 20,000 euros in 2005.
The tax declarations showed lawmakers in the Senate ahead of their House counterparts in the earnings stakes.
The richest senator was Dario Fruscio, a member of the opposition devolutionist Northern League, who earned more than 1.120 million euros in 2005.
In second place was Niccolo' Ghedini, Berlusconi's lawyer and a member of the opposition chief's Forza Italia party, with pre-tax income of 1.115 million.
Life Senator and auto-styling legend Sergio Pininfarina was in the no. 3 spot with just over one million euros.
Former president and Life Senator Carlo Azeglio Ciampi was also among the top ten with 752,000 euros.
In its annual rankings of the world's billionaires, American business magazine Forbes this year put Berlusconi in 51st place with a net worth of $11.8 billion.
