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Subscribe to RSSSilvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister best known for his wild parties and alleged sexcapades, is officially out of a job as Europe's debt crisis hits Italy. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
ROME -- Billionaire media baron Silvio Berlusconi, who resigned in disgrace a year ago with Italy tottering through the European debt crisis, on Saturday announced he is running for a fourth term as premier.
Berlusconi, 76, reluctantly stepped down in November 2011 after pressure from international financial markets. He was later convicted of tax fraud and has faced sexual misconduct allegations.
An unelected government of technocrats, led by widely respected economist Mario Monti, was appointed to replace him. Opinion polls have seen the popularity of Berlusconi's Freedom People Party plunge to far below that of Italy's other large party, the center-left.
But he is confident he can achieve victory.
"I'm running to win," Berlusconi told reporters outside the training facilities of his soccer team AC Milan.
No date has been set for elections, linked to the end of Parliament's term in late April. But Berlusconi's decision earlier in the week to yank the support of his party — Parliament's largest — for Monti's anti-crisis government increased the likelihood that Italy's president would dissolve the legislature and call early elections.
"It seems to me that March 10 has been indicated" as a possible date for early elections, "and that seems a date that's fine with me," Berlusconi said.
Monti was flying back from a conference in France for a meeting Saturday evening at the presidential palace to take the pulse of political tensions. President Giorgio Napolitano has made clear he wants Parliament to at least pass a vital budget law later this month and avoid a "precipitous" demise amid mounting political uncertainty.
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One would hope that the Italian people have had enough of this lecherous crook.
Pure arrogance.
What a bone-head! Let's hope the Italian people have more brain than that jerk.
Well, he does have all the money. He is already the front-runner. Money talks.
now that's a contradiction of terms.If money was all it took,Mitt would be president.Either way too much money was wasted by both parties on the elections.On the bright side it sure was a stimulus package for the media running those ads and the printing companies that printed all those flyers.Maybe next time i will be able to find a way to fleece these political parties.Pig,you take the Democrats and i will take the Republicans and split the profits once the feathers quit flying.
Mitt did not own the U.S. media...just a part of it (Faux News and Rush Limbaugh)
Hey, big bad wolfhound27 (#1.4), I have to hide my 3 little pigs from you.
Do you know that pigs can indeed fly...in a cop-ter...heli-cop-ter, that is.
This guy belongs in prison for 50 years..not running for anything as an offical... but escape from prison.
The guy is a classic egotistical narcissistic male chauvinist, but I gotta give him credit for chutzpah!
He has very little chance of winning, but he will make things interesting:
This is a guy that makes the Mafia look like alter boys. He should be doing heavy time in prison.
I don't get it.
He has money.
If this guy gets elected again, then you'll know Italy's elections are rigged. I don't know one single Italian that likes this corrupt piece-of-sh!t.
Go get 'em Silvio! You're a standard crooked politician but you are up front and stand up! Italy is nothing but a joke anyway, over 55 disolved governments since WW2.
"Disgraced Berlusconi says he'll run for fourth term as Italy's premier"
Why doesn't Italy's premier run for himself?
Maybe we should send Karl Rove to Italy to run his campaign for him. This one would be right up his alley. He could lie and cheat his way through another election and spend as much money as he likes with no questions asked. After all, Berlusconi and Rove are two of a kind. Go get 'em Karl!
This guy even aces Rove for slimy arrogance. Italy is a nice place, but Italians are attracted to bad government like moths to a flame.
Uh-oh . . . maybe Karl Rove, Newt Gringrich, and Mitt Romney are headed to Italy!!!
This is one of main reasons that Italy is in this financial mess. Italy, Spian, Portugal and Greece are the most corrupt of any European countries apart from ex Communist countries. When corruption runs the country, you end up with a financial disaster.
and how is the title anywhere near what the story was about. Hes not running for 4th term, he's been thrown out and replaced..fix it, it makes the news look incompetent.
Those In Italy/Spain/Portugal/Greece who owe taxes need to pay up and support their country. Enough of this treating tax avoidance as a game and the "smart" thing to do. If you want a governed country, pay for it rather than weaseling out.
Why is this very corrupt public official not in jail?
Someone needs to take this scumbag out of the race, permanently.
Poor Italy, with people like this in power its no wonder its so messed up, guess when we look at our own political leadership its not as comical as Italys is, but its broken as well.
Hey, it's only Italy. Who cares? It's not like they actually contribute anything to the world other than Catholicism and overpriced Euro-trash cars.
He must be senile.
Mario Monti was a dud. Italy has endured strikes increases in taxes, etc. It is time to have new national elections. If Silvio Berlusconi wishes to run again, so be it. it is doubtful that he will be prime minister again, However, he could not be much worse than the well respected Monti.
Super. More bunga bunga parties to read about as Italy departs the Euro zone.