Berlusconi ‘ready to go’ in wake of Ruby acquittal

On the morning after his acquittal in the so-called "Rubygate" trial, 78-year-old former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is reportedly ready to reassume full time political activity. Having won one case, the Rubygate trial, Mr. Berlusconi will now turn his attention to his Mediaset tax fraud conviction in which he last year received a definitive four year sentence (later reduced to one year of community service).

Even though Mr. Berlusconi has now come to the end of his community service at a home near Milan for elderly people suffering from Alzheimers, he stills remains banned from public office for up to five years, under the terms of the Mediaset sentence. Last September, Mr. Berlusconi himself said that his legal team had appealed the Mediaset ruling at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Even though his movements and public appearances in the last year have been limited, Mr. Berlusconi has nonetheless remained both active and influential in Italian public life, giving a series of statements and interviews to TV and radio stations from his private residence at Arcore, near Milan. Were his ban on fulltime political activity to be lifted, he would be free to attend public meetings and to go on the electoral campaign trail again.

Controversial judicial reform

Inevitably, Mr. Berlusconi's latest triumph in his 20-year-long battle with the Italian judiciary prompted an enthusiastic reaction from his party. When the Rubygate acquittal was confirmed late last night by the Supreme Court, senior Forza Italia figure, Renato Brunetta tweeted:

"Infinite joy for the Supreme Court decision. Berlusconi (will be) back in the field stronger than ever, with a great party behind him. Today Italy is a better country".

Many of Mr. Berlusconi's supporters, however, asked how the media tycoon could ever be compensated for the damage done to his reputation by the international media coverage afforded to Rubygate, a trial which featured accounts of alleged sex orgies and Bunga Bunga nights at his private residences in Rome, Milan and Sardinia.

"And now, who is going to pay for everything that Berlusconi has suffered?", tweeted another senior Forza Italia figure, Daniela Santanche.

One certain outcome of this latest judgement is that Mr. Berlusconi and his Forza Italia party will increase their support for judical reform legislation currently being promoted through parliament by the cross-party government of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. In particular, this legislation would establish some form of "civil responsibility" for judges and investigating magistrates, allowing plaintiffs and defendants to immediately contest their decisions. If a judge were found to have made a bad decision or a "mistake", he could lose up to half of his salary.

As of now, however, this bitterly controversial legislation has not completed its parliamentary iter and further modifications are to be expected.