Silvio Berlusconi Wins Again

After a year in which he was beset by scandal-see every post we’ve done about him ever-and a campaign during which authorities announced he was being investigated for attempting to influence coverage of the many scandals by which he’s been beset, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi can claim a resounding victory in regional elections this week, with parties in his alliance capturing four regions, retaining two, and reducing the hold of the opposition Democratic party to 7. Notwithstanding low (by Italian standards; the number was 64%) turnout, which is being seen as a sign of the electorate’s disaffection, and notwithstanding the fact that the alliance’s support in the north was due to the strength of the Northern League, a party of xenophobes and secessionists, this is a pretty solid win for the Premier, who gracefully acknowledged that “I took to the field, and this is my victory.” (It was also a victory for leftist comedian Beppe Grillo, whose new Five-star Movement did quite well for a party on its first time out.) Expect those new laws making everything Berlusconi has ever done to be totally legal shortly!