The hounding of Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi has been acquitted of paying bribes worth €10 million (£8.9 million) to female guests at his notorious bunga bunga parties in return for false testimony. The verdict brings to an end a series of trials that dragged on for well over a decade – and while the 86-year-old has ‘won’ this case, the damage has been done.

The political effect of the bunga bunga trials as they were called has been devastating, as has the impact on the lives of those involved. They set in train a series of events that included the forced resignation of the media tycoon in November 2011 as Italy’s prime minister and made him, and Italy, a global laughing stock. There followed six unelected Italian prime ministers in a row – unelected in the sense that none was head of a party or coalition that won an election. Four were not even MPs when appointed. 

This period of denial to Italians of a key element of democracy – a leader they chose – only ended with the victory of Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition at last September’s elections.