Word: berlusconi
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...long-anticipated announcement comes on the heels of the elaborate 45th anniversary celebration in Rome last July where Valentino and his longtime business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, entertained the likes of Uma Thurman, Silvio Berlusconi and Princess Caroline of Monaco throughout a three-day spectacle that included a dinner held on the ancient foundations of the Temple of Venus and a ball for 1000 guests in a 17,000 sq. ft. tent erected especially for the festivities in the Villa Borghese Gardens. The celebration, which Valentino Wednesday called "a moment of infinite magic and tremendous joy," was rumored to cost upwards...
...democratic insitutions was an illuminating look into the seldom-mentioned dark side of democracy [Aug. 13]. However, I was saddened to see that the story made no mention of a possible remedy. Perhaps the Italians themselves have not developed one. With the political system dominated by octogenarian bureaucrats and Berlusconi- like operators, would it be out of the question for Italy to restore the monarchy? With the exception of the U.S., the most successful democracies, and those least prone to such institutional dystrophy, are monarchies, from the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand to the Scandinavian nations and Japan...
When 15 months ago Romano Prodi's government unseated that of Silvio Berlusconi, whose tenure as Prime Minister was marked by frequent allegations of conflict of interest, there were the usual promises of a new era of accountability and efficiency. But Italians have a gnawing sense that not much is changing. "Society appears to be stalled," says Maurizio Pessato, ceo of the SWG polling institute in Trieste. "Italians see a growing Spain, a dynamic Britain, a recovering Germany, and even France has a new enthusiasm with Sarkozy. We are the only ones sleeping...
...surprise, dismay and so on. In Italy, vulgar expressions are used rather frequently on national TV (not just cable). Even before this week's ruling, comedian and activist Beppe Grillo had declared Sept. 8 "Vaffanculo Day" to organize a protest against the sclerotic political establishment. Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lets vulgar expressions slip out in public about twice a year. Still, with Italy's deep Catholic roots, profanity that takes God's or Christ's name in vain is widely frowned upon, and has cost several public figures their jobs...
...Parliament. While mainstream conservatives backing Sarkozy's tax-cutting, market-friendly economic polices may overlook his repeated pledges to help Le Pen voters "out of their ghetto" and into his camp, Moscovici warns that the hard-right lean will repel most people who supported Bayrou. "Sarkozy reminds me of Berlusconi," Moscovici comments. "The Italian right forgave him every excess, the Italian center fled...