by MARCO HOCHGEMUTH
Silvio Berlusconi is the longest-serving prime minister of post-war Italy and also the most controversial. He has survived several trials on charges of corruption and tax evasion through the timely introduction of legislation granting him immunity from prosecution.
However, the latest in this series of trials, scheduled to start in Milan on Wednesday, for the first time appears to have cornered the wily septuagenarian. He is to appear in court on charges of having sex with an underage prostitute (Karima el Mahroug, nicknamed ‘Ruby’) and using his powers as prime minister to cover up his crime. This time, Mr. Berlusconi may have gone too far even for the otherwise quite forgiving Italians.
However, this was not the prime minister’s first crazy stunt. Test your knowledge in this quiz about 10 things you would never expect a prime minister to do or say but were done and said by Berlusconi.
1. What did Silvio do to make German Chancellor Angela Merkel lose her temper during the 2009 NATO summit in Kehl?
a) Silvio made Angela Merkel wait for ten minutes at the entrance of the conference centre because he had to make a phone call.
b) During the summit, Silvio said that there were unfortunately no beautiful women in the room.
c) Angela Merkel was the only government leader not to be invited to Silvio’s after-party.
2. Who did Silvio call when he heard that 17-year-old Ruby had been arrested by the Milan police on charges of theft?
a) He called Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, to ask for Ruby’s immediate release for reasons of national security.
b) He called Ruby to ask her to keep quiet about her activities at the prime minister’s ‘bunga-bunga’ parties.
c) The police station, to demand Ruby be released immediately because she was the niece of the then Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
3. Why is Silvio jealous of US President Barack Obama?
a) Because of Obama’s message of hope.
b) Because of his beautiful wife Michelle.
c) Because of Obama’s permanent tan.
4. What did Silvio really say about left-wing voters in Italy?
a) People who do not vote for right-wing parties are mentally handicapped and should be admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
b) Left-wing voters are coglioni (idiots).
c) The left wants to send me home, but that would embarrass me, as I have 20 homes and I would not know which one to choose.
5. What was Silvio’s highly unusual reaction when he was injured at the end of 2009 when a psychiatric patient threw a miniature of the Milan cathedral at his head?
a) He picked up the souvenir and threw it right back.
b) He had his official car drive him to the hospital, shouting ‘Scandaloso! Scandaloso!’ from the open window.
c) Before driving off in his official car, he got out to show the injuries to his lip and nose to the television cameras.
6. What did Silvio do that really annoyed Queen Elizabeth when a group photo was taken during the G20 summit in London two years ago?
a) Silvio mistook her for Queen Beatrix.
b) Silvio startled the Queen by shouting ‘Mister Obama’ in a really loud voice.
c) Silvio cracked jokes about the disappointing performance of UK football clubs in the Champions League.
7. What unfortunate statement did Silvio make when he visited the victims of the L’Aquila earth quake in 2009?
a) The damage is huge, but not quite so bad when compared to the Asian tsunami.
b) There is hot food and medicines in the tent camps. People should regard it as a weekend camping trip.
c) Fortunately the church was not seriously damaged.
8. In 2003, Silvio got into an argument with German MEP Martin Schulz, who criticised the decision not to lift the Italian prime minister’s parliamentary immunity. What part in a movie did Silvio say would be suitable for the MEP?
a) The part of a concentration camp guard in an Italian movie on Nazi destruction camps.
b) The part of a gay man in a film by the late Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini.
c) The part of a Mafia capo in the film Gomorra.
9. What statement of Berlusconi’s caused an outcry after the 9/11 attacks in the United States?
a) I don’t hate Islam. I believe it is a backward culture. Everywhere Islam holds sway, is simply a terrible place to be.
b) These are the facts. Islam is a violent religion. If Mohammed were alive today, parliament would immediately agree to have him tarred, feathered and chased out of the country.
c) The West needs to be aware of the superiority of its culture. Its norms and values, the prosperity of its people and its freedom of religion. Surely, no such respect exists in the Islamic world.
10. What statement did Silvio make to defend himself against allegations of hosting sex parties involving underage women?
a) It’s better to have a passion for beautiful women than to be a homosexual.
b) I’m not a saint. I hope journalists will understand that.
c) A real Italian fancies beautiful women, and that’s why we are machos.
Radio Netherlands Worldwide for answers