Here is a fortunate twist in the story of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, 72, and his angry wife. The PM has been beleaguered by his wife’s request for a divorce and stories in the press about him and an 18-year-old and their parties. Today he must be breathing a bit more easily. A judge ruled that the photographs of young ladies at his villa in Sardinia, taken on New Year’s Eve by a hiding paparazzi, violate his right to privacy.
Berlusconi insists that he is not involved romantically with the 18-year-old who declares that she is still a virgin.
In European nations, when we hear of scandals in top government circles these are frequently related to politics. Lovers quarrels may create a media frenzy, but in Italy wives often turn their heads when their powerful husbands are cavorting about with younger women.
It is particularly ironic that in a Roman Catholic country – where the head of the Church sets the rules for Catholic marriages — the Prime Minister, head of government, breaks the rules which Italians find amusing.
Arranged marriages: For many older couples in Italy, marriages were arranged by two families and their teenagers married. As such, many older men say that they get to chose their mistresses because they did not get to choose their wives.
However, for the sake of family, in a country in which divorce had not been legal, wives came to accept the “comare.” For devotees of The Sopranos — the Mafia mistresses were called: goomah, goomar, or gomatta
With this little bit of Italian marriage history, it should be understandable as to why the Italians have shrugged over the dalliances of their Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
The bishops: However, the Catholic bishops have now decried the PM’s public life and also chastised his wife for publicly airing their marital troubles. Such is the nature of love and marriage in Italy.
So why is Veronica Lario, 52, Berlusconi’s wife of 20 years and mother of his three children, seeking a divorce? For years he has been associated with a string of beautiful young women. Indeed he raised eyebrows when he and Veronica began an affair while he was still married to first wife. When he met Veronica she was a topless dancer. Here are photos of his top ten women published in the Telegraph.co.uk
What pushed Veronica over the edge were the suddenly surfacing rumors of his involvement with a young woman who just turned 18, and his apparent attendance at her birthday.
His children defend him
However the PM’s children are taking his side and crying “foul”. According to a new piece in the New York Times in a series of separate and joint statements, Mr Berlusconi’s five children said Dario Franceschini should be ashamed of himself for having dragged them into Italy’s increasingly contentious campaign for European Parliament elections.
“I would be thrilled for Franceschini’s children if they had a father like mine,” said Marina Berlusconi, his oldest child. New York Times on PM
The explosive nature of the story today is being bandied by some as a political rather than moral. However, right now it is being reported that even some of his closest allies are distancing themselves.
Copyright 2009 Rita Watson