Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Berlusconi says only he can lead Italy
Fri Oct 9, 2009 8:32am EDT
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Philip Pullella
ROME (Reuters) - Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Friday dismissed suggestions that he should step down for the good of Italy's image, saying he was the only person qualified to lead the country now and by far the best in Italian history.
Berlusconi, speaking at his first news conference since Italy's top court lifted his immunity from prosecution and opened the way for a resumption of corruption trials against him, also said he was the man most persecuted by judges "in the entire history of the world."
Berlusconi was asked by an American reporter about calls by critics that he step down because his personal and legal problems damage Italy's image in the world.
"The reality is completely the opposite," he said, remaining unusually calm in his response. "In my opinion, and not only mine, I am the best prime minister we can find today."
Smaller opposition parties and a number of editorials in foreign publications, including Friday's Financial Times, have called on the 73-year-old Berlusconi to resign.
In a major blow for the premier, the Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that a law granting him immunity from prosecution while he is in office violates the constitution. His lawyer said two trials against him could resume in two to three months, but he remained confident of acquittal.
Berlusconi's comments about being the only man for Italy's current political season also appeared to be a message to those within his center-right bloc who are said to be seeking a successor in Gianfranco Fini, lower house speaker and the second most important center-right leader.
At the news conference, Berlusconi repeated his assertion that he is the best prime minister in Italian history, but this time went one further when discussing his legal woes.
"I am without a doubt the person who has been most persecuted by judges of all times, in the entire history of the world and the history of man," he said.
"DAM AGAINST THE LEFT"
Berlusconi said he was "a dam against the left in Italy," again accused the country's president and the Constitutional Court of being politically biased, and said judges who rule against him are "trying to subvert the will of the electorate."
The immunity law, one of Berlusconi's first acts after winning last year's election, halted all the cases against him, including one in which he is accused of bribing British lawyer David Mills to give false testimony to protect his businesses.
Mills' own, separate appeals trial resumed on Friday and his lawyers said they would call Berlusconi as a witness. Mills was convicted at his first trial earlier this year.
Another trial, accusing Berlusconi of tax fraud and false accounting in the purchase of TV rights by his Mediaset broadcaster, was also frozen. Berlusconi denies any wrongdoing.
Some commentators warned that tension stemming from the court ruling could destabilize Italy's political landscape and spill over into the economy. Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
Yahoo!
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
Somali government recruiting Kenyans for war: residents
Also On Reuters
Obama's Peace Prize win has Americans asking why?
For the busy executive -- an anti-H1N1 suit
Commentary: Iraq correspondent says good-bye
More International News
Blast in Pakistan's Peshawar kills 49
| Video
Rain, floods in N. Philippines kill over 100
| Video
Top Indian diplomat in Afghanistan after blast
| Video
Iran to "blow up heart" of Israel if attacked: official
Hamas bails out Gaza's losing tunnel investors
More International News...
More News
Italy's Berlusconi vows to stay, tension worrying
Thursday, 8 Oct 2009 03:25pm EDT
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
Obama is surprise winner of Nobel Peace Prize | Video
French minister clings to post in sex tourism furor
Republicans attack Obama on U.S. dollar
FACTBOX-Barack Obama wins the Nobel Peace prize
China's gold investors undeterred by high prices
U.S. scientists net giant squid in Gulf of Mexico
Obama as the Deliberator stirs debate
Bernanke sees tighter policies as economy heals
Praise and skepticism greet Obama Nobel award
Book teaches "how to talk so men will listen"
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Rocket to smash into Moon
Facing healthcare reform
Barack Obama awarded Nobel Prize
East Germany's peaceful revolution
Farmers plow coal to stop warming
Nobel committee Q&A on Obama win
Mueller wins Nobel literature prize
NATO trucks set ablaze in Pakistan
No resolution in Honduras
"Spiderman" strikes again, in Paris
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Labs |
Journalism Handbook |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.