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Any Port in a Storm
// The Lure of Leadership for Silvio Berlusconi
Until recently it was commonly accepted that the axiom “power is the greatest wealth” was applicable exclusively to countries with yeasty democratic traditions, not to the civilized West. The new indictments leveled at Silvio Berlusconi, however, deal that rule a decisive blow. Incidentally, that includes not only the most recent accusations, but the former Italian prime minister and current magnate’s entire career – both political and business.
Mr. Berlusconi contrived to simultaneously destroy several cornerstones upon which the whole of the Western system appears to be founded. The most important of these is the idea that all are equal in the eyes of the law. Another is the common conception that money decides everything.
Even before his accession to power, Mr. Berlusconi was one of the richest people in Italy. But he didn’t become the richest man in the entire country until he was already the head of the Italian government.
The issue is not even about how Mr. Berlusconi confirms the idea that power helps augment wealth. The more important postulate confirmed by the former prime minister is as follows: even in the democratic West, only power can guarantee the most important treasure of any person – freedom. The ideas “loss of power” and “loss of freedom” may be synonymous.
Berlusconi convincingly demonstrated why even the richest person in Italy needs to fight so fiercely for power. Berlusconi’s passion for politics can be explained by his fear of losing his freedom.
In 1994, Berlusconi became prime minister for the first time in order to save his business empire from the “Clean Hands” anti-corruption drive. His loss of the prime minister’s seat after a year and a half led to ten indictments and three prison sentences, although the ex-prime minister’s lawyers managed to get those overturned.
Mr. Berlusconi was spared further judicial proceedings only by the fact that he was a deputy from his party in the European Parliament. And when his credentials turned out not to be enough to protect their owner from jail – and not only Italian jail, but Spanish as well – in 2001 Silvio Berlusconi was obliged to become the prime minister of Italy for a second time in order to gain at least a five-year respite in his struggle with the courts.
But by last summer that respite was over: Mr. Berlusconi lost the position of prime minister to Romano Prodi. The new criminal proceedings didn’t give him long to wait.
Silvio Berlusconi may be able to drag out the trial for two or three years. But the proceedings against him will end only if he becomes Italian prime minister for a third time.
Every new election cost Mr. Berlusconi that much more dearly. But the loss of his freedom will cost him even more. And that shows that power has no price, neither in the East nor in the West.
Gennady Sysoyev
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 01, 2006
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