For legal reasons, the Observer is unable to show you photographs taken of a party held by the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, at the now notorious Villa Certosa in Sardinia. I will now give you a moment to count your blessings.
The photos, which appeared in Spanish newspaper, El País, reportedly depict a party for a Czech delegation involving Berlusconi, topless women, and, it is alleged, a naked man leaning over a swimming pool in "a state of arousal". Former Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek has confirmed he appears in the photograph, but says: "It has been modified and the picture is not authentic." Does anyone see any reason to disbelieve him?
For his part, Berlusconi, already under investigation for using state aircraft to fly scantily clad guests around, already in trouble for the 18-year-olds, the endless parade of "friends in thongs" (etc, etc), is suing El País, claiming the photos invaded his privacy and discredited him on the eve of the European parliamentary election. Truth is, whatever happens with Italian voters this weekend, isn't it time for the rest of us to cry: "Give it up, Silvio, dirty goat of European politics, the world has had enough"?
Please understand, this isn't knee-jerk outrage - if anything, the impulse has always been to find Berlusconi pathetic, yes, but also good value, a talking point. It was especially funny when the Blairs went over for that infamous villa freebie, sucking up to their dear chum Silvio, looking a fine figure of a man in his bandana or a dead ringer for Carlos Santana's gran, whichever way you chose to look at it.
Continue ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/07/barbara-ellen-berlusconi-photographs
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