By Guy Dinmore in Naples
Published: June 30 2009
Appearing on a billionaire’s luxury ship in the Bay of Naples on Monday, nine days before he hosts a Group of Eight summit, Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister, rejected reports that his government risked falling apart over his personal life.
“My government is probably the most safe and secure in the west,” he said.
He specifically rejected “foreign” press reports questioning its stability in the wake of allegations by escorts that they had been paid by a businessman to attend parties at the prime minister’s residences and that one had sex with him on the night of the US elections in November.
Mr Berlusconi, 72, cited an unsourced opinion poll as giving him a 62.3 per cent approval rating, making him “the most popular head of government in all the west”.
An Ispo poll published at the weekend gave him a 49.1 per cent approval rating, and suggested that he had lost the support of some women and young people. Journalists were invited to a press conference aboard the Fantasia, Europe’s largest cruise liner, operated by MSC Crociere. Its billionaire owner, Gianluigi Aponte, sat in the front row.
The prime minister thanked him for offering the liner for use by world leaders attending the July 8-10 G8 summit – before Mr Berlusconi decided to move the venue to L’Aquila, a city devastated by an earthquake in April.
Mr Berlusconi spoke about his government’s achievements and plans for the summit, citing in detail the number of electric cars to be used (33), methane-powered minibuses (10) and subsidies for planting trees (€1m, £850,000, $1.4m). The meeting is to be attended by 39 heads of government and international organisations.
Minimising the danger of embarrassing questions over his private life and a judicial investigation into the businessman suspected of procuring prostitutes, the premier took only five brief questions.
As Mr Berlusconi left, a foreign reporter asked him what he had done on the night of the US elections. But the prime minister walked on, smiling. In an interview last week with Chi, a magazine that he owns, Mr Berlusconi said he had no memory of the name or face of 42-year-old Patrizia D’Addario, who said she spent the night with him because she wanted his help in fixing a building permit problem. Ms D’Addario said she felt betrayed because help was promised but did not materialise.
Mr Berlusconi, a billionaire media magnate, also turned on the Italian media, accusing newspapers of deepening the financial crisis by preaching negativity.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/22acb81a-64f6-11de-a13f-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1
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