Newsgroup: it.politica
Titolo: NEWSWEEK: INTERVIEW WITH SILVIO BERLUSCONI

      Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 69, is one of the Bush 
administration's most faithful - and flamboyant - friends in Europe (.) 
(NEWSWEEK, March 6, 2006)
      "You often speak of yourself as the salvation of the country. It's 
been said you compare yourself to Jesus Christ.
      It's not true. I attended a fund-raising dinner where there were more 
than 400 peopIe. I greeted everybody, shaking hands, taking pictures. I didn't 
manage to eat anything. I signed autographs. And then they wanted me to give 
a speech. So I went Iike this [he slumps in his chair] and said, "You're 
asking a 'povero Cristo' to give a speech." You see, we say in talian
      "poor Christ" when we mean "poor feIlow." But I stopped myself. I 
smiled. I said,
      "Mamma mia, now they're going to say that I compare myself to Jesus 
Christ!"
      OK, now that we've cleared that up, what about your claim that you'd 
give up sex until you wln the election?
      [Laughs.] AbsoIutely the contrary. We were in Sardinia, a meeting of 
party officials. No journalists. At the end a priest came to me. He says, 
"Bless you." And he asked, "Will you make all the necessary sacrifices to 
win?" And I told him, "You're not asking me to take a vow of chastity until 
the end of the elections?" And he said, "No, l'm not asking you to do that!" 
And then somebody at the meeting probably said something outside.
      Why so many misconceptions?
      You have to understand that in Italy the media and the press have been 
taken over by the left. Even at my television networks, joumalists want to 
prove they are independent. There is only one brave journalist, the director 
of the smallest of my three networks, who comes to my defense. All the 
others are against me.
      You admire the United States. What do you think Europe can learn from 
it?
      I wouldn't put it this way. l'm part of Europe, but the West is one, 
and has to remain one, above all at a moment when we are facing the new 
totalitarianism that is international terrorism. Now we are back to a 
situation where Europe is close to the United States, and it is my belief 
that it is our responsibility to spread democracy all over the world.
      Even if democracy elects Hamas in the Palestinian territories?
      Democracy is not enough, but I'm optimistic. The important thing is 
for the Western democracies to be united when they tackle these problems. We 
are doing this with both Iran and the Palestinian Authority, and there are 
initiatives by [Russian President Vladimir]Putin. I'd like to explain what 
he's trying to do vis-à-vis Hamas. None of us [ in the United States or the 
EU] can negotiate with terrorists. But (Russia) did not do this. I think 
this approach can be the road to starting negotiations. I also rely on the 
fact that the Hamas leaders now understand they have government 
responsibilities.
      How does it make you feel when you're pushing a statesmanlike policy 
and one of your ministers shows off a Muhammad-cartoon T shirt?
      I asked him to resign, and he did.
      You've set a timetable to pull out of Iraq by the end of this year. 
Should the United States have a timetable, too?
      I think so. I discussed that with President Bush and [Secretary of 
State] Condoleezza Rice. And I do believe-it's just my personal opinion-that 
it would be worth while for them to have a timetable. The lraqi government 
will soon be able to keep order in tbe country on its terms.
      You say you need a second term because you've still got work to do. 
Opponents say you're afraid that if you step down the left will come after 
you and you'll  be put in jail.
      That might be the left's intention, and it speaks volumes about how 
"democratic" they are ... [Since 1994] I bave been completely acquitted in 
all trials, because I did not commit any crime. During the six years I was 
in the opposition, 92 times
      they tried to [use the courts]... I was involved in almost 2,000 
hearings. It is the biggest persecution of a politician ever carried out in 
any democracy in history.
      Like a "poor Christ"?
      [Clenches his jaw, then smiles.] Sure-they tried to nail me to the 
cross. But there is nothing in my life I have to be ashamed of."

 
          NEWSWEEK: INTERVIEW WITH SILVIO BERLUSCONI
 
Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 69, is one of the Bush
administration’s most faithful - and flamboyant - friends in Europe (…)
(NEWSWEEK, March 6, 2006)
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