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
Italy's Berlusconi vows to stay, tension worrying
Thu Oct 8, 2009 9:54am EDT
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Philip Pullella
ROME (Reuters) - A combative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi vowed on Thursday to govern with "even more grit" after Italy's top court lifted his immunity and he dismissed corruption charges against him as "laughable."
But commentators warned that tension stemming from the Constitutional Court ruling on Wednesday could destabilize the political landscape and spill over into the economy.
"The government will forge ahead calmly, tranquilly and with even more grit than before because this will be absolutely indispensable for freedom and democracy in this country," Berlusconi said in a morning radio interview.
In a major blow for the 73-year-old Berlusconi, the court ruled that a law granting him immunity from prosecution while he is in office violates the constitution. The verdict will reopen two trials against him that were suspended.
Berlusconi also has been hit by a spate of scandals surrounding his private life, including allegations a businessman paid women to sleep with him. His wife announced in May she wanted a divorce because of his womanizing.
Berlusconi has responded by attacking Italy's president, the media, magistrates and the constitutional court as leftists scheming against him.
"The two trials against me are false, laughable, absurd, and I will show this to Italians by going on television and I will defend myself in the courtroom and make my accusers look ridiculous and show everyone what stuff they are made of and what stuff I am made of," he said.
Analysts say the verdict is bound to weaken Berlusconi and make tough economic policy decisions less likely as the third largest economy in the euro zone struggles to recover from its deepest recession since World War Two.
One sign of how precarious Berlusconi's support could become was a warning from Gianfranco Fini, lower house speaker and the second most important center-right leader, that the premier must "respect the Constitutional Court and the head of state."
Fini, the leading candidate to succeed Berlusconi, has been a frequent critic of Berlusconi's outbursts.
"NERVES OF STEEL"
While there seems little short-term risk of early elections, mostly because the opposition is in a state of disarray since its defeat last year, commentators expressed deep concern.
"This could have destabilizing effects on politics and the legislature," said an editorial in business daily Il Sole 24 Ore. "Who would be interested in going down to this precipice?"
Berlusconi's personal attack on President Giorgio Napolitano sparked what commentators said could turn into a dangerous clash between the two highest office holders in the land.
After former communist Napolitano rejected the charge that he was biased, Berlusconi snapped: "I don't care what the head of state says, I feel they are making a fool out of me." Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
Yahoo!
Facebook
LinkedIn
Next Article:
Nobel literature winner Mueller "lost for words"
Also on Reuters
In America, there is a foreclosure every 13 seconds
Blog: Transparency and the role of media in China
Book teaches "how to talk so men will listen"
More International News
Indian embassy blast kills 17 in Afghan capital
| Video
Grim omens as U.S. envoy pursues Mideast relaunch
Pacific quakes stir panic but tsunamis tiny
Nobel literature winner Mueller "lost for words"
Typhoon Melor buffets Japan, disrupts industry
| Video
More International News...
Video
Immunity ruling to test Berlusconi
Play Video
More Video...
Related News
Q&A: What's next for Berlusconi after immunity lifted?
8:48am EDT
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
8.1 magnitude earthquake strikes northwest of Vanuatu
Barbra Streisand tops U.S. pop chart for ninth time
Indian embassy blast kills 17 in Afghan capital | Video
U.S. scientists net giant squid in Gulf of Mexico
Guy Ritchie says he still loves "retarded" Madonna
Italy's Berlusconi vows to stay, tension worrying | Video
Foreclosures mark pace of enduring U.S. housing crisis
Dell plans first U.S. smartphone with AT&T: source | Video
Pakistan wants US 'trust,' drones, market access
Book teaches "how to talk so men will listen"
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Ribosome riddle delivers Nobel prize
Qureshi: Pakistan wants drones
Let the earnings begin!
Quake survivors lacking basic needs.
Bomb outside India's Kabul embassy
Smartphone wars
Olympics give Rio shot at rebirth
Typhoon hits Japan
Sister says remember Politkovskaya
Japan's next-gen green cars
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
analysis
Struggle looms to build on Iranian nuclear deals
U.N. inspectors about to descend on a hitherto secret Iranian nuclear site may score a small victory for non-proliferation, but face a long, hard struggle to achieve full transparency in Tehran's atomic ambitions. Full Article
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.