The Baron and the Cavaliere

Democracy in Europe

Mar 1st 2011, 17:16 by The Economist | BRUSSELS

IN GERMANY, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the defence minister and rising political star, regarded as a possible future chancellor, has just resigned for plagiarising his doctoral thesis. “I must agree with my enemies who say that I was not appointed minister for self-defence, but defence minister,” he declared today.

In France Michèle Alliot-Marie, the foreign minister, was prised out of her job at the weekend for her Tunisian gaffes, among them accepting private plane rides from an associate of the now-ousted president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

In Tunisia itself, the caretaker prime minister, Mohamed Ghannouchi, first appointed by Mr Ben Ali, stepped down on Sunday after another round of street protests.

But in Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister, goes on and on. He faces three separate trials in the coming weeks, including for tax fraud and paying for sex with a minor. Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets to demand his resignation. He has even kissed the hand of Muammar Gaddafi.

With the approach of Italy’s 150^th anniversary (and, by the way, the centenary of Italy’s occupation of Libya) I struggle to come up with a good explanation for this Italian exception. Any thoughts from readers on why Baron Cut-and-Paste is compelled to leave while Il Cavaliere manages to remain in the saddle?

http://www.economist.com/blogs/charlemagne/2011/03/democracy_europe?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/bl/thebaronandthecavaliere