Turkey Sang Swan Song?

Finally Silvio Berlusconi has admitted defeat even though the Italian election had been obvious for the past couple of weeks, and the Italian courts had told him so in no uncertain terms just a few days ago. Prior to these two nails the judicial nail in his prime ministerial coffin, he had shamefully (thick skinned) refused to formally concede defeat in the election to his rival Romano Prodi.

It’s rumoured ;-) that the Italian prime ministerial office has claw marks and broken finger nails at its door threshold. Maybe Berlusconi ran out of finger nails in his resistance to be dragged out of the office.

Apart from being a very rich businessman, Berlusconi is quite a character, portraying during his prime ministership a red neck behaviour that has annoyed both friends and foes. Once when he couldn’t get his way in the European Union parliament, blocked by a German member, he insulted the latter by suggesting he was a German concentration camp guard, an extremely provocative slur.

A staunch supporter of US President Bush’s invasion and occupation of Iraq, very much against the general feelings of Italians, he didn’t hesitate to insult Muslims as well. Basically, his mouth spoke faster than his political or diplomatic brain.

A number of Italians have been concerned that his vast media empire in Italy had accorded him unfair advantage in his ascendancy to the No 1 political position. They were also worried that he could use his position to further his business interests.

Now, accepting he’s no longer the prime minister, he has decided to go out with a song (rather than tears) composed for the occasion. He sang at his party’s meeting:

"Let us go, leave everything behind, leave the newspapers, the TV the parties, leave those who don't want me any more."

Berlusconi, who had once worked as a crooner and pianist on cruise liners, even joked: "At least we still have a profession."

I hope that was his swan song because the world can do without a political nasty like him.