Berlusconi uses court as stage

Several trials are currently underway against Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. On Monday he appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing in the Mediatrade trial. The prime minister, who is also a media mogul, was unfortunately able to turn the court appearance to his advantage, writes Dino Amenudi in his blog for the leftist daily Il Fatto quotidiano: "Because he could obviously no longer avoid appearing in court and at the same time could be sure of having the full attention of the Italian and international media, Berlusconi decided to take the bull by the horns and turn the threat into an opportunity. And as always it's he who dictates the pace. Two hours before he appeared in court he made a televised speech in which he announced his opinion of the trial against him. ... In doing so he baptised a new communication format: an entirely apolitical election campaign. ... Is this the way to do politics? Yes, when you are the custodian of both political and media power."

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