by GIUSEPPE D'AVANZO

A few days ago, Repubblica asked the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to answer 10 questions concerning the inconsistencies and gaps of a story that many have defined as “Veronica’s” or “Noemi’s”, a story that nobody though has dared to define for what it appears to be: the “Berlusconi case”.

Last Monday, the undersecretary of the Prime Minister’s office, Mr. Gianni Letta, asked for two days to provide an answer to the request for an interview. The answer never arrived. In order not to disguise what on the contrary should be clarified, which seems to have become the new conformism trend of the Italian media, we are are today publishing the questions we would have asked the Prime Minister as well as the contradictions we have found in his declarations and in those of the other main characters of the story. 

Silvio Berlusconi said: «I believe that anyone who is in charge of a public function, like a Prime Minister, might accept to continue his relationship with his wife [Mrs.Veronica Lario] only if it becomes clear who caused the present situation». (Italian TV talkshow Porta a Porta, May 5th 2009).

Repubblica agrees with Mr. Silvio Berlusconi. It is obvious that , notwithstanding the media hubbub in these days, no one can discuss or talk about a divorce or a separation which remains a private affair between a husband and a wife. As it is clear, also for the Prime Minister, that the question concerns the behaviours of «someone who is charge of a pubblic function». Being as such, those behaviours are always of public interest and cannot being limited to a familiar scope. And in any case, Mrs. Veronica Lario, in his declarations of April 29th and May 3rd bring two personal certainties and a question to the attention of the public opinion.

Her two certainties describe the Prime Minister’s private and public way of behaving: «My husband dates minors»; «My husband is not well».

The question the Prime Minister’s wife would have public opinion and those who represent it in various ways answer, is on one hand a political one and involves the practice of «power», its way of being, its dangerous degradation occuring when young attractive showbiz girls (known as “veline”, a term which in Italy refers to scantily clad young women working on certain types of TV entertainment programs) with no other merit than being charming and close to the Premier, are chosen and called on to represent the sovereignty of the people. 

Mrs.Lario said: «What emerges today, through the screen of female beauty and curves, is power’s impudence and lack of restraint which offends the credibility of all women (...). Someone wrote that all this is to support the emperor’s amusement. I agree, what comes out from the press is shameless rubbish». (Ansa, April 28th, 22:31)

Mr. Silvio Berlusconi replied off the cuff evoking a plot hatched by «the left party and its press that can’t quite accept my popularity reaching 75% (…) It’s all false, it’s a trap in which unfortunately my wife also fell into. There are no girls. It’s an absolute lie». (Italian TV talkshow Porta a porta, May 5th 2009).

That is the first impediment to be verifed. Is this story only a well organized trap? If it is a plot, is it true that it hides the hand of the left party and of «its press»?

Three facts exclude it.
The first Italian newspaper mentioning the candidacy of a “velina” to European Parliament elections is il Giornale belonging to the Berlusconi family. On March 31st, at page 12, in the column entitled “Indiscreto a Palazzo” (A Prying Eye in the Palace) we read «Barbara Matera is aiming at a European seat». «Soubrette in the TV program Chiambretti c’è, and in Gialappa’s, RAI TV programme schedule reader and actress of the TV movie Carabinieri», Ms. Matera, il Giornale writes, «wanted to deny the cliche’ concerning youg people who don’t apply themselves to a job, who don’t want to work hard and don’t want to commit. “People say that young people waste time. It’s not true: I myself study a lot”». «And you can tell», is the comment from the newspaper of Berlusconi’s editorial group.

The second Italian newspaper unveiling «the secret card that the Prime Minister is ready to play» is Libero, on April 22nd 2009. First page news and picture of «Angela Sozio, the red haired girl from Big Brother and the De Vivo twins from Island of the Famous, possible candidates in the European Parliament elections». At page 12,  the revelations: «A knight’s gesture. The light blue veline candidates in pectore» is the title. «Silvio brings a troupe of  showgirls to Strasbourgh» is the subheading.

According to the Italian newspaper Libero, the number of «showgirls» is 21 and they are supposed to pass an interview (as you all know, the number of candidates in list for a seat in Brussels are 72). The names listed in the article are the foIlowing: Angela Sozio, Elisa Alloro, Emanuela Romano, Rachele Restivo, Eleonora Gaggioli, Camilla Ferranti, Barbara Matera, Ginevra Crescenzi, Antonia Ruggiero, Lara Comi, Adriana Verdirosi, Cristina Ravot, Giovanna Del Giudice, Chiara Sgarbossa, Silvia Travaini, Assunta Petron, Letizia Cioffi, Albertina Carraro. Eleonora and Imma De Vivo and a Lithuanian «mysterious miss», Giada Martirosianaite.

It is difficult to affirm that both Il Giornale and Libero are Left-party oriented newspapers. As it is difficult to believe that Fondazione farefuturo, the Foundation whose Chairman is Mr. Gianfranco Fini, is a holy of holies close to the Democratic party. The think tank, directed by Professor Alessandro Campi, wants «a new managing class suitable to govern the challenges of modernity and globalization, to emerge». Campi, coherently criticizes the use of «a humiliating demeaning female stereotype» and with an analysis of political commentator Sofia Ventura warns about «the uselessness of “velinismo” ». In the article we read: «We are in front of a party management which uses people’s beautiful faces and bodies that have nothing to do with politics, with the one and only aim of projecting a (false) image of freshness and renewal. Such instrumental use of the female body, in which the main female characters obviously participate without batting an eye, reveals on one hand a lack of respect towards those, men and women, who have reached their own position in society thanks to their skills and hard work; on the other hand, a lack of respect for institutions as well as for the popular sovereignty that legitimate them».

Sofia Ventura concludes: «Women are not knick-knacks to be used as bait, neither are they fragile human beings in need of protection and promotion on the part of generous paternal gentlemen. Women are ordinary human beings. And we would like whoever is in charge of important political responsibilities to remember that every now and then».

When Mrs. Lario speaks to censure “velinismo” – and power’s «shameless rubbish» - she doesn’t move in the darkness, but on ground already touched by newspapers close to Prime Minister and by critical analysis of intellectuals close to the government majority.

This “case” didn’t start with a conspiracy, as Mr. Berlusconi’s protests would like to demonstrate, but it finds its transparent roots in the preoccupation of certain Right party environments as far as the «empoverishment of a country’s democratic quality is concerned» (quotation from Mrs. Ventura).

Therefore, once the alleged «plot» is removed, the political “case” remains. A “case” which becomes also a familiar one, when Mrs.Veronica Lario finds out that her husband went to Naples to take part to a birthday party of an eigtheen-year-old girl (Repubblica, April 28th). And it is once again a political case when Mrs. Berlusconi announces her decision to divorce and publicly denounces the behaviour of a husband who is, «in charge of a public function», «dates minors», and is a prisoner of an uneasiness which is threatening his psychophysical balance.

The Prime Minister replied to Mrs. Lario’s remarks with two interviews in the Italian press (the newspapers Corriere della Sera and La Stampa, May 4th 2009) and with a long monologue in the Italian talkshow Porta a Porta (May 5th 2009).

In three such public outings, the reconstruction of the events and issues discussed (the candidacy of young women selected because of their beauty and friendship with the Prime Minister; the Premier’s affection for Noemi Letizia, who turned 18 years old on April 26th 2009; Mr. Berlusconi’s participation in her birthday party; his long friendship with the Letizia family) Mr. Berlusconi’s words were very definite, but they were either contraddictory or omissive ones.

Mr. Berlusconi denies having had the intention of proposing «soubrette» and showgirls as candidates of his party. «We didn’t include any “velina” in our lists» (in the Italian newspaper Corriere, May 4th 2009). Noemi, the 18-year-old girl, calls him «papi». Why? When asked, Mr. Berlusconi replied: «It’s a joke, they wanted to refer to me as grandpa’, papi is much better. Don’t you think?» (Corriere, May 4th 2009). Mr. Berlusconi is more precise in his interview with the newspaper La Stampa (May 4th 2009): «According to what the lady [Mrs. Lario] said, I would date seventeen-year-old girls. It’s something I can’t stand. I am a friend of her father, that’s it. I swear!».

It is the same version he gave to France2 (May 6th 2009). When the Prime Minister explains the circumstances of his visiting with Noemi Letizia –  I am an old friend of her father, he said –  the French journalist interrupts him to ask: «…therefore she [Noemi] is not a girl you personally knew?». Mr. Berlusconi replies: «No, I had the chance to know her together with her parents. That’s all».

Mr. Berlusconi’s version is contraddicted in all its elements by the interviews given by Noemi Letizia.
This is how Noemi described her affective bond with the Prime Minister: «He loves me as a daughter. And I do too. We all are very close to him». (Repubblica, April 29th 2009).

On April 28th 2009, the girl revealed key details in an interview published in the Italian newspaper Corriere del Mezzogiorno.
«[Berlusconi, papi] I was brought up by him (…) He is a family friend. A friend of my parents (…) I never lacked his attention. I remember that one year [for my birthday], he gave me a little diamond as a present. Another time, a necklace. I mean, every time, he covers me with attention. (…) I adore him. I keep him company. He calls me, when he has some free time and I join him. I listen to him. And that’s what he wants from me. Then, we sing together (…) When I go visit him, his desk is always full of papers. He says he would like to be on a boat and read. Sometimes he is disillusioned by the fact he is misjudged and I explain to him that those who misjudge him are those who see no farther than the end of their nose. Nobody can imagine how sensitive papi is. I have been really close to him when he lost his sister Maria Antonietta. I used to tell him that I was the only one who was able to understand his suffering. (…) [I want to be] a showgirl. I am interested in politics too. I am ready to take any opportunity. (…) I’d rather to be a candidate for the Chamber of Parliament. Papi Silvio would take care of that».

The story told by Noemi is the one of a direct intense relationship with the Prime Minister. Someone who gave her three birhday presents, for her 16th , 17th  and 18th  birthday. Therefore, one might conclude, when Mr. Berlusconi met Noemi, she was fifteen. In their relationship, there’s no evidence of role or presence of her parents. Noemi did not refer to them, neither is she corrected by her mother, during the interview she gave to Angelo Agrippa, the journalist of Corriere del Mezzogiorno. Mr. Berlusconi tried to reassess his relationship with the minor: «I met the girl two or three times, I don’t remember, always in presence of her parents». At this point, the Prime Minister’s words have not been confirmed by Noemi’s parents yet.

During a meeting with a journalist, Mrs. Anna Palumbo – Noemi’s mother – made an interruption only in order to specify the circumstances under which her husband, Benedetto “Elio” Letizia, met Mr. Berlusconi. She said: «He [Berlusconi] met my husband at the time of the Socialist party. But we really can’t say anything more than this».

Noemi is not that evasive when she talks about one of the decisive issues of the whole story. She is actually pretty explicit. She reckons to be able to obtain from Mr. Berlusconi the chance to enter the show business or, in alternative, to be elected in the Parliament. Television or a seat in the Parliament. Noemi’s expectations, urged by Mr. Berlusconi’ attention (or promise), are in line with the critical reflections made by Fondazione farefuturo, Gianfranco Fini’s think tank («Women are not knick-knacks») as well as by Mrs. Lario («Shameless rubbish»).

When, where and how Mr. Berlusconi and Mr. Benedetto Letizia met, is another enigma of this story which develops through later contradictory versions.

During an official visit of his in Warsaw, Mr.Berlusconi said: «I have known him [Benedetto] for years, he is an old socialist, he used to be Craxi’s driver». (Ansa, April 29th, at 16:34).

Such circumstance is immediately denied by Bobo Craxi («I am astounded. My father’s driver, Nicola, was from Veneto region. He died a few years ago », Ansa, April 29th, at 16:57) and the government, with an embarassing 20 hour delay, denies it too: «Premier Berlusconi never said that Mr. Letizia was the driver of Mr. Bettino Craxi» (Ansa, April 30th , at 12:30).

As for his part, Mr. Letizia doesn’t not want to remember in public how, where and when he met Mr. Berlusconi. Whoever asks him questions, manages to gather only empty words. «Do you want to know how I met Mr.Berlusconi? Okay, I’ll tell you, then I’ll tell you how I met all the people I know though…». (Corriere, May 10th 2009).

In other occasions, Mr. Letizia refused to tell about his first meeting with the Prime Minister: «I have no intention of talking about it» (Italian magazine Oggi, May 6th 2009).

Noemi, too, doesn’t want to talk about the past: «I don’t remember details [how this family friendship started], I never asked my parents about it. They didn’t meet due to work reasons: my father is a clerk in the public administration...». (Repubblica, April 29th 2009).

Mr. Arcangelo Martino, ex socialist councillor to the Council of Naples, at present close to the party of the Italian Prime Minister, seems to have a vivid memory of the first meeting between Mr. Berlusconi and Mr. Letizia. «Between 1987 and 1993, I was a good friend of Mr. Bettino Craxi. Every wednesday, as a habit, I used to go to Rome, to the Raphael hotel. Someone from my staff was always with me and that someone was almost always Elio Letizia (…). Many times it happened that Mr. Silvio Berlusconi was there. That’s when I introduced them to each other and they have become friends». (Corriere della sera, May 10th 2009).

However Arcangelo Martino’s memory is once again definitely denied by Bobo Craxi. «I categorically exclude that Mr. Letizia was a habitué of the Raphael hotel (…). I believe, Mr. Martino himself might have stopped sometime to greet my father». (Repubblica, May 11th 2009).

All those who used to be close to Mr. Bettino Craxi, clearly denied Mr. Letizia to be one of the ex socialist leaders’ aquaintances: Mr. Gianni De Michelis («I never heard of Mr.Letizia»); Mr. Gennaro Acquaviva («I have never heard about Mr. Letizia, not even mentioned by people from Naples»); Mr. Giulio Di Donato («As far as I remember, there was no one such as a Mr. Letizia in the Neapolitan panorama of the Socialist Party»). Mr. Stefano Caldoro’s objection was even stronger and more effective: «Indeed at the beginning of the Nineties, I used to live in the Raphael hotel every time I spent time in Rome. We used to joke about Mr. Martino’s initiative (…), but I categorically exclude ever having met or heard about a Mr. Letizia being introduced to Craxi. Why on earth should he have been introduced to him? He was neither a manager, nor a social representative, he was not an active member of the Socialist party» (Repubblica, May 11th 2009).

The occasion in which Mr. Berlusconi met Mr. Letizia is still to be clarified. As it is to be clarified when the Prime Minister decided to take part in Noemi’s birthday party. This is how Mr. Berlusconi explained his presence in Naples to the Italian newspaper Corriere della sera, May 4th 2009, : «This is how it actually went. That day her father called me on the phone, he had been a friend of mine for years. When he found out that I would be in Naples that night to monitor the development of the project for a waste to energy plant, he insisted on me going to his daughter’s birthday party. The venue was close to the airport. He didn’t give up and I could not say no. We were one hour early and I decided to go. Nothing strange, it has happened other times for birthday parties and weddings».

Therefore, Mr. Berlusconi’s participation in Noemi’s birthday party is a demonstration of affection towards the girl’s father, Mr. Elio Letizia. There is no reference to Noemi or to any other political need or emergency of any nature. The version Mr. Berlusconi gave to the Italian newspaper La Stampa that very same day (May 4th 2009) is quite different: «Her father, whom I have known for a long time, called me on the phone to ask me if I would have left Martusciello out of the European election lists (Flavio, Pdl party regional counsellor), I explained him that I would have tried to include both the ex police superintendent Malvano (Franco, already a candidate for Mayor of Naples) and Martusciello. I told him I was going to Naples to encourage contracts for the new waste to energy plants slowed down by beaurocracy. At that point, he interrupted me and said: “Are you coming to Naples? We are celebrating Noemi’s 18-year-old birthday party, why don’t you join us for a toast, the place is next to the airport. Please come, it would be the most beautiful gift of my life”. So I went…».

During the TV talkshow Porta a porta, on May 5th, Mr. Berlusconi added some more details to this last version of his: «I was at the Rho Fair Furniture Show, pretty puzzled by the crowd screaming “Thank god there’s Silvio”, “Magic”. The helicopter pilot told me that within half an hour there would have been a rain storm that would have obliged us to reach Linate airport by car. That’s why we left earlier and [having some time at my disposal, before] a political meeting I had that night [and with the restaurant being only three minutes away from the airport], I entered…».

It is pretty evident that this reconstruction has some contradictions, too. Mr. Berlusconi arrived in Naples with a gift for Noemi, «pink gold concentric circles enriched with a cascade of white diamonds mounted on white gold, 6 thousand euro, the pendant is also included in Sophia Loren’s collection» (Italian magazine Gente, May 19th 2009). Such circumstance has been greatly discussed and, on the contrary, doesn’t seem to be really significant: the Prime Minister could have had on board his airplane gifts to be used according to different needs.

It is far more interesting that Mr. Berlusconi’s airplane arrives in Naples one hour before the beginning of the party and that the Prime Minister waits inside the plane for an hour, before moving to enter «five minutes after Noemi’s arrival in the restaurant» (Italian TV program Annozero, May 7th 2009). According to the declaration of a photo reporter, hired by the owner of the “Villa Santa Chiara” restaurant, everybody had known since Saturday April 25th about the Prime Minister’s arrival and, in any case, the police “checks” of the hall was scheduled for «3:00 p.m.», as some Security Department sources revealed. (Repubblica, May 9th 2009).

It seems possible to say that no change of schedule occurred in Rho that late afternoon of Sunday April 26th. The participation in Noemi’s birthday party was already part of the Prime Minister’s schedule, as demonstrated by official police “checks”, by Mr. Berlusconi’s wait inside his plane, as well as his entering that restaurant almost at the same time of the 18-year-old girl’s arrival, as in a script previously arranged. 

There is one last contradiction to be disclosed. Was the choice or indication of the “veline” candidacies an idea of Mr. Berlusconi? During the TV program Porta a Porta, May 5th, the Prime Minister affirmed he was never involved in the European election candidacies: «The candidacies for the European elections have not been managed directly by the Prime Minister. The Pdl party’s three coordinators, Mr. Bondi, Mr. La Russa and Mr. Verdini, selected “500 profiles out of thousands notification” in order to single out the 72 candidates. They were inspired by the indications received from the Party congress: give space to young people and women. Among these candidates, nobody can be defined as a velina» (report from the Prime Minister’s words during RAI TV program Porta a porta, May 5th 2009, taken from the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, May 6th 2009). However, Mr. Berlusconi admitted to have discussed with Mr. Elio Letizia (who is neither a Pdl party manager nor, as far as we know, a member of the party) the candidacies of Mr. Malvano and Mr. Martusciello and, in order to do so, Mr. Berlusconi joined him all the way down in Naples at Mr. Letizia’s daughter’ s birthday party. The circumstance seems pretty contradictory and, without any other explanation, pretty unlikely. 

The rosary of incosistencies and incoherences that incardinate themselves on the political issue brought up by Fondazione farefuturo as well as by Mrs. Lario (concerning the method Mr. Berlusconi uses to select the managing class) urges to ask Mr. Berlusconi the following ten questions:

1.      When and how did Mr. Berlusconi meet Noemi’s father, Mr. Elio Letizia?

2.      During that friendship, which the Prime Minister refers to as «long», how many times have they met and where and on which occasions?

3.      Each friendship has a reason to be, which matures throughout the years and in this case – as Mr. Berlusconi himself admits – there was no lack of time. How would the Prime Minister describe the reasons of his friendship with Benedetto Letizia?

4.      Obviously the Prime Minister discusses his party candidacies with whomever and whenever he wants. But it was Mr. Berlusconi himself who said that he never got directly involved in the selection process of candidates. Then why did he do it with Mr. Letizia, who is neither a party member, nor a party manager, and not even a particularly influential citizen of the southern community of the country ?

5.      When did Mr. Berlusconi have the chance to meet Noemi Letizia?

6.      How many times has Mr. Berlusconi had the chance to meet  Noemi and where?

7.      Does Mr. Berlusconi take care of Noemi’s education, of her life and future. Does he financially support her family?

8.      Is it true, as Noemi sustains, that Mr. Berlusconi promised or let her believe he could favour her carrier either in the showbiz or on the Italian political scene. And, according to the Prime Minister, doesn’t such «instrumental use of the female body impoverish a country’s democratic quality» as some cultural personalities and institutions close to his own party reprimand?  

9.    Mrs. Veronica Lario told me that her husband «dates minors». Apart from Noemi, are there other minors the Prime Minister meet or “bring up” to quote with no irony the expression that the girl from Naples was the first one to use?

10. Mrs. Veronica Lario said: «I tried to help my husband, I implored all those who are close to him to do the same, as you would do with someone who is not well. It has been useless». Geriatricians (csuch as Professor Gianfranco Salvioli, from Modena Unveristy) believe that obsessive behaviours towards sex, censured by Mrs.Veronica Lario, could be the result of a «a psychopatological degeneration of narcissistic traits of the personality». What are the Prime Minister’s health conditions?

(Translated by Rosalba Fruscalzo)

(May 14th 2009)