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Italian Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi pauses during a rally in Rome. (Pic: AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
ITALY’S PARLIAMENT HAS expelled Silvio Berlusconi over a tax fraud conviction in a humiliating vote that but billionaire tycoon has vowed to “fight on”.
The three-time former prime minister told thousands of supporters outside his residence in Rome that he would stay on in politics despite the vote, saying it was “a day of bitterness, a day of mourning for democracy”.
“We are not going to retire to some convent,” Berlusconi said in a defiant speech, as fellow senators held rounds of voting that forced him from parliament for the first time in his 20-year political career.
Motions put forward by Berlusconi’s allies in the Senate in an attempt to block the expulsion procedure were rejected one by one in a dramatic session in which dozens of lawmakers took the floor to support him.
One loyalist senator even compared the scandal-tainted Berlusconi to South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela and two rival senators almost came to blows. Many senators from his party wore black in mourning.
A Senate usher, right, tries to prevent Senator Domenico Scilipoti from showing a paper during a votation. Pic: (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Senate speaker Pietro Grasso said the failure of the motions meant that a proposal “abolishing the election of senator Silvio Berlusconi” was considered approved.
Berlusconi is now banned from taking part in a general election for six years and has lost parliamentary immunity, which offers safeguards against arrest.
Rumours are rife in Rome that an arrest could be imminent although Berlusconi’s lawyers have dismissed the prospect as “absurd” given that he has already had to give up his passport and is not a flight risk.
Experts said the expulsion marks another step in Berlusconi’s slow-motion demise, although he will continue to wield major clout even as an ex-lawmaker.
Opinions were mixed in the streets of Rome
“We managed to put an end to 20 years of fascism, we can put an end to 20 years of Berlusconism too. I hope then we will become a more grown-up country,” said Giulio, a passerby in the trendy Trastevere district.
At the pro-Berlusconi rally, however, supporters including his girlfriend Francesca Pascale belted his campaign anthem “Thank God Silvio’s Here!” and held up placards saying the expulsion was “a coup d’etat”.
“I think he is the victim of a prejudice of a part of the political system that has always wanted to eliminate him,” said Augusto Leone, a student.
Silvio Berlusconi girlfriend Francesca Pascale listen to Italy’s Former Premier Berlusconi during a rally in Rome. Pics: (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Several polls show that the 77-year-old’s popularity is undimmed among core supporters and a centre-right coalition led by him as figurehead could win elections.
Berlusconi left his residence shortly after the result of the vote was announced to be with his family at his villa near Milan, the site of some of the raunchy “bunga bunga” parties for which he has been convicted.
His daughter, Marina Berlusconi, who has denied persistent press rumours that she could succeed him, said in a statement: “This country and this democracy should be ashamed of what my father is suffering.”
Declining power
The momentous vote comes at an economically crucial time for Italy, which is struggling to end its longest post-war recession, and just as parliament debates a budget aimed at slashing high debt and deficit levels.
Centre-left Prime Minister Enrico Letta has called for a “non-chaotic situation in Italy” and said a division within Berlusconi’s ranks “will help stability”.
A group of dissidents led by Berlusconi’s former protege, Deputy Prime Minister Angelino Alfano, broke away from his party this month to form their own group.
Alfano and his supporters voted against Berlusconi’s expulsion but will stay in Letta’s left-right coalition.
The government will therefore survive even though Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party has pulled out of the coalition after an uneasy cohabitation with its leftist rivals, who narrowly won a February general election.
The coalition now has a narrower Senate majority of around 10 seats and could be vulnerable to populist attacks.
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Would like to buy it except I’m saving up to buy a sh*t watch that has to be charged twice a day.
Got rid of my S5 for one of these. Well worth the swap.
Where can you buy one?
On their website. Only on Tuesdays without an invite.
Posting this using my OnePlus one… Just be careful what networks offer four g and make sure u get the four g version
HTC one(m8) wipes the floor with the iPhone
True but what’s that got to do with this article
Android phones are for people who are too poor to buy iPhone
Oh Rob… Pathetic troll
Agreed, if you don’t have enough money’s to buy an iPhone you needn’t bother getting an phone at all. It just looks like you’re trying to have an iPhone when I reality you’re too poor
I laughed. Android peasants.
I’m effing loaded but I still prefer Android.
Can’t afford an iphone?
Trolling really is a lost art…
The only people who buy IPhones are indoctrinated simpleton’s who feel the need to be accepted into society, image conscious, self-righteous, more money than sense…………..
Ah yes. The call of iSheep everywhere. If we can afford it we’ll buy it.
Had an iPhone for a very short period. Found myself reaching for my old Samsung almost instantly. The iPhone is a nice phone with a clever name and a bitten apple on the back (which is its most important component).
Try a galaxy note or HTC one. The difference between them and the iPhone 6 and 6+ is like night and day
John Wheelwright, u mad?
John Wheel you’re an easy one to windup aren’t you
To give you an idea of the average apple user. The $10K “gold” apple watch is actually gold plated and uses a combination of cheap alloys. Not that it matters to them.
I use a BlackBerry for work and an android Z3 compact for everything else.
I do love iPhone users though. They are so easy to make money off.
lighten up Frank ffs
Your parents buying you an iPhone doesn’t mean you are rich.
Having owned both, and liked both, I prefer android because of mobdro and I can play any downloaded files on it.
LOL, I’m a realist and just pointing out the facts really.
Buying any apple product is like unwittingly entering into a relationship someone with issues…
Had iPhone, couldn’t wait to get rid of it. As for iPhone 6 and 6s why pay so much when the same tech is on a Samsung S III.
…what are you talking about? Basically everything on the 6 and 6+ is superior to the S3. Or do you mean the numbers are the same? Because if so I have a 10 year old laptop with a 3.4GHz processor to sell you, I’ll do it for less than a brand new 3.0GHz equipped laptop, don’t worry the number is bigger so it’s better.
Why would I buy an iPhone ? It warps in ur Pocket . Shit phones
does it have a spell-check on it …. because your headline needs one !!!!
well said John , I Muppets , , more money than sense
Using oneplus one from last two months very happy with performance. This is the Best phone I ever had!
Journal – any chance of a review of the BQ Aquarius Ubuntu phone???
So now everyone in Ireland that has an Android phone is an anti-water charge layabout never worked a day in their life type.
Good lord.
Sober up 44
Might buy one. Had the iPhone for years, switched to the Galaxy S5, having trouble with that now, no one seems to be able to hear me on a call. Which is a pretty important part of a phone !
I used to be a bit weary of the Chinese products. However, I have a friend who worked for Sun Microsystems now with Oracle and he worked on a team in Sun trying to catch counterfeit products. He said the only way they could tell the difference between the Chinese models compared to the genuine Sun servers was that the Chinese ones were better, better made and better servers.
Your microphone for talking into might have some dirt/debris build up. Get a pin and carefully insert to remove anything. Blow into it after.
Also you could flash CyanogenMod onto your S5. You will get much better performance.
This will be my next device.
Have one since last summer..great phone..battery lasts all day..sim free..
I got one of the first invites had iPhones then always had the top Samsung. Will never look back. Great phone lightening fast. Can’t wait for the oneplus 2
Oneplusone avail on amazon.co.uk . Another nice one is zte razor s6. Im finished my contract and am gonna take a sim only plan from tesco 25 pm for all calls and data
have your say