Italy elections

Why Is Silvio Berlusconi Back (Again)?

Silvio Berlusconi had been talking for nearly two hours straight—a series of long, rambling tangents—when an associate walked onto the stage and placed a piece of paper on the lectern. He’d just gotten a big round of applause for one of his classic lines—“We governed for nine years and we never, ever, ever put our hands in the pockets of Italians!”—when he paused. “They gave me a note that says soon they’ll kick me out because it’s getting late and the theater is booked later,” Berlusconi said. The audience broke out in applause again. There were bottle blondes with fur coats and swollen collagen lips, businessmen in nice suits, and some young people who were born after he’d first come to power in 1994 and had never known a world without him. He was in his element, the spotlight, and showed no sign of letting up.

Italy goes to vote in national elections on March 4, and yes, Berlusconi, the former prime minister, he of the corruption scandals, the so-called “Bunga Bunga” sex parties, the allegations of Mafia ties that he, in fact, discussed (and denied) in his speech in Milan, is in full campaign mode. He is campaigning on behalf of his center-right Forza Italia party, even though a conviction for tax fraud bans him personally from holding any public office. Forza Italia has been in the opposition since Italy’s last national elections in 2013. Since then, there have been three different center-left prime ministers.