Global News Journal
Beyond the World news headlines
Berlusconi, as he is
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is the consummate campaigner. No matter where he finds himself, the indefatigable 72-year-old always makes sure the cameras are squarely on him.
Although he is quick to flash a smile to his supporters, Berlusconi can be just as fast in delivering barbed words to his critics. And when he does not have the time to do it, his supporters are more than happy to oblige.
The newspaper Il Libero, for instance, uses its front page to wage war against his adversaries, old and new.
When his wife called for a divorce after criticising his party for considering former actresses and TV showgirls to run in the European elections, it lashed out. It published old photos of her baring her breasts on a theatrical stage and ran a headline telling her that she was of the same ilk.
Il Libero also uses inserts to great effect. Last week, it started publishing a serial recounting the life of Berlusconi.
Reminiscent of the booklet about his life that Berlusconi sent to voters’ homes ahead of the 2006 election, the serial highlights in glowing terms his transformation from cruise ship crooner to real estate mogul to media magnate to prime minister.
Anti-immigration party seeks rights for ‘native Italians’
If you believe the latest poster from the Northern League, Italians face the same fate as Native Americans if they do not keep illegal immigration in check.
The poster, plastered across Milan, located in the northern heartland of this populist party, shows a picture a man wearing the traditional feathered headgear of a tribal chief.
“They also were subjected to immigration and now they live on reserves!” reads the text in bold black letters. “Think about it!”
Getting rid of illegal immigrants has long been a rallying cry for the party, which styles itself as the defender of northern Italy under siege by foreigners and Roman politicians.
Italy is not only a major transit point for thousands arriving by boat from around the world, but also a place offering hope of a better life for eastern Europeans including Albanians and Romanians.
The most vivid images are usually those of Africans arriving at one of Italy’s islands, suffering from thirst, hunger and overexposure.
The Northern League’s leader, Umberto Bossi (pictured below), has never been shy of expressing his contempt for immigrants.
