Silvio Berlusconi and the mystery of Italy’s presidential elections

The news that Italy will have a new president later this month might not make hearts race.

But, dig a little deeper, and it’s more interesting than it might seem at first glance.

How do the presidential elections in Italy work?

First of all, it is one of the most peculiar and mysterious presidential elections in Europe.

While in countries like France it is the people who elect a new president at the polls, in Italy 630 deputies, 321 senators and 58 regional deputies do so.

More unusually, rather than limiting it to a serving politician, Italy allows anyone over 50 with “full civil rights” to be eligible for the position.

The somewhat mysterious process, which takes place over the course of rounds until one candidate wins a majority, has drawn comparisons to the papal conclave and stands out as an outlier in Europe.

It has resulted in non-politicians like Gianni Versace’s brother Santo, actress Sophia Loren and even a mob boss’ Ndrangheta emerging as nominees.

Speaking to Euronews, Francesco Silvestri, a deputy from the Five Star Movement, shed light on how certain unlikely names end up turning up.

“There are deals and maneuvers that result in 10 or 15 votes being cast for a specific person,” he told Euronews, “All of this happens behind the scenes.”

Lawyer and constitutional expert Marco Ladu further explained the reasoning behind the perceived idiosyncrasies of the process, namely why presidents are secretly selected by legislators and not by the general public.

“There are two main reasons behind the peculiarity of all this,” he said. “To avoid the opposition of the president with the will of the two chambers [in parliament] and to ensure that he has the serenity and independence necessary to fulfill his function, which can be compromised by a direct election ”.

Residing in the Quirinal Palace, the President of Italy, as head of state, must ensure that the constitution is respected.

Unlike the Prime Minister, the President of the Republic does not have an executive function, but rather represents the “connecting point” between the three branches of power.

While the role is largely ceremonial, the president can show his muscles, such as when appointing prime ministers or, as head of the Italian armed forces, during wars and other national emergencies.

Why does Italy need a new president?

Because Sergio Mattarella, having reached the end of his seven-year term, will leave office.

He has presided over multiple crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and is widely perceived as a beacon of stability during a particularly difficult time.

Mattarella enjoys wide public support, which means finding a replacement has been a challenge.

The list of nominees proposed includes new and not-so-new faces, including controversial former prime minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi.

He has helped make this election one of the most heated in remembrance in the country.

Who are the alternatives to Berlusconi?

As Italy heads into the first round on January 24, a variety of names have been touted as possible candidates, although, as a result of the secrecy of the process, making reliable forecasts is a tricky business.

The current Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Draghi, is widely perceived as a popular choice for the position, although some commentators and investors fear that his early departure from government could leave the country in an unstable position.

There have even been suggestions, especially popular within the Five Star Movement, that Mattarella may be re-selected for the race.

Yet of all the current suggestions, none of them is as famous, or as intensely polarizing, as Berlusconi.

The 85-year-old ruled Italy three times between 1994 and 2011, as head of the country’s center-right coalition, which brought together moderate Christian Democrats, hard-line post-fascists, northern separatists and even a handful of Social Democrats.

Throughout his tenure, Berlusconi was embroiled in a variety of scandals that have intertwined his private and public life, from reports of “Bunga Bunga” orgies and accusations of soliciting sexual services from a child to allegations of corruption and ties to The orginazed crime.

While his supporters have praised him for his alleged business acumen and magnetic appeal, his detractors have condemned him for allegedly fostering a Borgia-like culture of favoritism and for using his popular television channels as vehicles for election propaganda.

His crimes in the court of public opinion may have been many and diverse, but in the eyes of the law, it was tax evasion that sealed the deal. In 2013, the Supreme Court of Italy convicted him of evading around 7 million euros in taxes through his company, Finivest, for which he was sentenced to four years in prison (reduced to one year of community service) and disqualified from public office for six years. .

Such a background may make him an unlikely candidate for the ceremonial seriousness expected of a president, and yet he is now the center-right candidate: the far-right populist Northern League (Lega Nord), led by the former deputy prime minister. Matteo Salvini. , and the National Conservative Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia), whose leader, Giorgia Meloni, is Italy’s new rising star in opinion polls, have officially partnered with their coalition ally to support his presidential candidacy. This is despite dissent within the bloc – the League’s Chamber of Deputies group leader Riccardo Molinari himself called it “divisive” – ​​and Salvini’s own strained relationship with Berlusconi, having previously criticized him.

‘Terrible ramifications’

Euronews spoke with Alex Bazzaro, a deputy for the Northern League since 2018 and Salvini’s former social media manager, to assess his thoughts on the upcoming presidential elections.

At just 34 years old, Bazzaro is one of the youngest members of the lower house and was ten days short of his seven birthday when Berlusconi won his first general election in 1994. Now, Bazzaro will enthusiastically support Berlusconi’s presidency.

“It is the first time that the center-right [coalition] he is presenting his own presidential candidate, and that is a good thing ”, he exalted. “The public will is there for him to be the leader of the country.”

When asked if Berlusconi’s scandals and controversies could prove unpopular with the League’s electorate – who are largely drawn to the party’s unwavering mantra of law and order – Bazzaro reiterated his thoughts that his voters “They would appreciate that the center-right have put forward and united behind their own candidate.”

Bazzaro’s response to Molinari’s accusations that a Berlusconi presidency could prove divisive: “If he’s divisive, it’s only with the left.”

Indeed, the possible election of Berlusconi has left many on the other side of the political spectrum, and even former allies of the League’s governing coalition, the Five Star Movement, deeply concerned.

Silvestri, who is voting for the first time in the presidential election, is particularly horrified by the proposal.

“If Berlusconi became president, it would be a very bad thing for us,” he confessed to Euronews. “As a movement, we were born against everything he stands for, especially because of his many trials and allegations of ties to the mafia.

“It would have terrible ramifications not only for Italy’s image, but also for its international credibility and therefore for the economy.

“After everything the country has been through, Italy simply cannot afford to have Berlusconi as president.”

Pollsters are currently predicting that a Draghi presidency is likely, but they are not ruling out Berlusconi’s chances. A recent poll suggested that he is Italians’ second-favorite choice for the role, demonstrating his enduring, if highly divisive, appeal with audiences.

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