Berlusconi Sex Scandal: How Did He Survive It? - TIME

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How Has Berlusconi Survived His Sex Scandal?

Silvio Berlusconi's struggle to outrun revelations about his private life has kept headline writers from Tallahassee to Tokyo busy for nearly six months now. The latest chapter began on Sept. 8, with the leaked court testimony of a Bari businessman accused of bringing prostitutes to the Italian Prime Minister's private residence in Rome. Though the deposition by Gianpaolo Tarantini confirmed Berlusconi's earlier claims that he didn't know the women were being paid, its contents were so juicy, it set off a whole new round of coverage. When Berlusconi was asked about Tarantini's testimony two days later at a press conference, his 10-minute, over-the-top response left the impression of a world leader suffering from an extreme case of political vertigo.

In Italy, though, Berlusconi's alleged romps and his heavy-handed attempts to fend off the allegations are just part of the story. In the land of Machiavelli, the one thing that gets as much attention as what's happening inside the Prime Minister's bedroom is what's happening in the political back rooms.

With the center-left opposition all but nonexistent in Italy's Parliament, everyone is on the lookout for potential Judases within the ruling majority's ranks. And as far as the Italian media are concerned, Gianfranco Fini, president of Parliament's lower house, is filling that role nicely. The local paper in Bologna, Il Resto del Carlino , like others in Italy, offers daily updates on ...

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