Italy marks end of an era after Berlusconi ouster

ROME, ITALY – Italy marked the end of an era on Thursday, November 28, after Silvio Berlusconi’s historic ouster from parliament, with the billionaire tycoon humiliated and assailed by legal woes but now a powerful force in opposition.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s ruling coalition will survive the withdrawal of support by Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party, thanks to the defection of some of his former proteges who will stay on in the government.

But while he is a figure of fun around the world, Berlusconi is still a formidable campaigner who can continue as a figurehead leader even if he is banned from running for election for the next 6 years.

“The expulsion is definitely a very important break in 20 years of history but we cannot say this is the end,” said Giacomo Marramao, a political philosophy professor.

“Berlusconi talks about something that Italians feel strongly about – taxes,” he said, adding that Berlusconi could now mount a populist campaign.

Berlusconi was in turns defiant and humble in a speech to thousands of supporters on Wednesday just minutes before the Senate declared his expulsion, donning the mantle of victimhood and vowing “a fight for liberty.”

He promised to hold another rally next Sunday to celebrate the founding of the first 1,000 “Go Silvio” fan clubs around the country and said he was staying to protect “our right, our assets and our freedom.”

Some experts expect more fighting talk from Berlusconi and say he could compete for votes with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, led by the fiery Beppe Grillo who is also not in parliament.

But Grillo’s lawmakers were quick to reject comparisons.

“We’re something else, completely different,” said Paola Taverna, chief senator for the movement.

Other analysts say that the ejection is a major blow and Letta’s government could start gaining in popularity as the economy gradually improves.

“His exclusion from parliament puts him in a precarious condition… and if this is not the end, it is clearly the beginning of a decline that could be quick,” said Marcello Sorgi, the editor of La Stampa daily.

A bellwether of Berlusconi’s continuing influence could be the European Parliament elections in May 2014.

But the 77-year-old’s bid to stay on could be hampered on the legal front more than at the ballot box.

House arrest, community service

As part of the tax fraud conviction for which he was booted out of parliament, Berlusconi will have to serve 12 months of either house arrest or community service in which his freedom of movement will be curtailed.

The sentence is to be implemented early next year and at the end of 2014 Berlusconi could face definitive conviction for having sex with an underage prostitute and abusing the powers of the prime minister’s office – which could force him into house arrest for years.

As an ex-senator, he has also lost his parliamentary immunity which makes him more vulnerable to arrest in any of multiple other legal proceedings against him.

Berlusconi’s defeat at the hands of fellow senators instead of through the ballot box left a bitter taste even among some of his most virulent critics.

“We would have preferred a different and less bitter end, for us and for our national dignity,” said Stefano Folli, a columnist for Il Sole 24 Ore business daily.

Letta’s more immediate danger could be “friendly fire” from an ambitious center-left politician, Matteo Renzi.

The 38-year-old mayor of Florence is almost certain to be voted in as head of the main Democratic Party next Sunday and has become increasingly critical of Letta’s government in his quest for the party leadership.

“This government cannot continue pretending that everything has stayed the same. We have to turn things around,” Renzi said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera daily, adding: “Otherwise, it’s over.” – Rappler.com