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Berlusconi in race for immunity as trial nears end
Bill shielding the prime minister, president and speakers of both houses could become law by July end.
- By Guy Dinmore, Financial Times
- Published: 00:15 June 29, 2008
Rome: Racing against time before a verdict in a corruption trial involving Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's cabinet has approved a Bill that would give blanket immunity to the prime minister and three other senior officials.
The Bill now moves to parliament, where Berlusconi's new centre-right coalition has a large majority. It could become law by the end of July if Giorgio Napolitano, the head of state, gives his assent.
Meanwhile, the trial in a Milan court of Berlusconi and David Mills, a British lawyer, is nearing conclusion in spite of efforts by the prime minister's legal team to remove a judge on grounds of bias.
"Either I work as prime minister or I dedicate my time preparing for court appearances. One cannot do both," said Berlusconi, billionaire media mogul and three-time prime minister.
"Now we are becoming a normal country," he said, reiterating the official argument that Italy was falling in line with other democracies. Constitutional experts disagree, although some heads of state, including the presidents of France and Germany and the English sovereign, enjoy considerable immunity.
Twice in the past week Berlusconi has denounced judges as anti-democratic and a "cancer", accusing them of hounding him and denying the wishes of the "sovereign" electorate since he first took office in 1994. His outbursts have convinced commentators that his lawyers fear a guilty verdict. It would not be his first, and two stages of appeal exist, but some commentators speculated that Berlusconi might resign.
Given his resounding poll success in April, resignation would seem unlikely. However, he runs the risk of repeating his 2001-2006 term, when his court battles overshadowed economic reform efforts.
Already the centre-left opposition has broken off dialogue on constitutional reform, accusing Berlusconi of going too far with his "security" measures. Separately, the government has also tabled emergency legislation that would suspend some non-priority trials, including Berlusconi's, in order to speed up more urgent cases.
Berlusconi is accused of giving $600,000 to Mills, his former lawyer, to give false testimony in cases related to alleged secret accounts held in the billionaire's business empire. Both men deny the charges.
Berlusconi has faced the courts many times - 17 according to his lawyer - and undergone dozens of investigations. Either cases have been dismissed or convictions have lapsed during the appeals process because of the statute of limitations. Two other cases are pending. The Bill would shield the prime minister, president and speakers of both houses.
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