Another take on the theme of Berlusconi's wtf-ery
Do we want more funny stories about Berlusconi's crazy gaffes?
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After negotiations on agricultural policy in 2005, he remarked that he had used all of his "arts as a playboy" in wringing concessions for Italy from the female prime minister of Finland, a woman not known for her physical beauty. When Berlusconi was acting as the president of the European Union two years earlier, he shocked a gathering of heads of state by suggesting that they lighten up the mood by talking about "soccer and women." He then intimated to Gerhard Schroder, the oft-married former German chancellor, that he might want to tell them about women.
a bit more at the sauce
So, how does Berlusconi continue to be so popular in Italy, as both his reelection last spring and his current poll numbers suggest? Well, his political savvy at home and cluelessness abroad--seeming contradictions--are actually closely related. His comment about lightening up negotiations over the European constitution by talking about "soccer and women" seemed undignified to his fellow politicians, but is part of Berlusconi's populist appeal in Italy. After all, "soccer and women" are favored topics of conversation at the corner bar in most Italian towns, and Berlusconi's reputation as soccer team owner and celebrity linked by rumor to numerous beautiful women is part of what has allowed the country's richest man to develop a genuine working-class appeal.
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After negotiations on agricultural policy in 2005, he remarked that he had used all of his "arts as a playboy" in wringing concessions for Italy from the female prime minister of Finland, a woman not known for her physical beauty. When Berlusconi was acting as the president of the European Union two years earlier, he shocked a gathering of heads of state by suggesting that they lighten up the mood by talking about "soccer and women." He then intimated to Gerhard Schroder, the oft-married former German chancellor, that he might want to tell them about women.
a bit more at the sauce
So, how does Berlusconi continue to be so popular in Italy, as both his reelection last spring and his current poll numbers suggest? Well, his political savvy at home and cluelessness abroad--seeming contradictions--are actually closely related. His comment about lightening up negotiations over the European constitution by talking about "soccer and women" seemed undignified to his fellow politicians, but is part of Berlusconi's populist appeal in Italy. After all, "soccer and women" are favored topics of conversation at the corner bar in most Italian towns, and Berlusconi's reputation as soccer team owner and celebrity linked by rumor to numerous beautiful women is part of what has allowed the country's richest man to develop a genuine working-class appeal.