Silvio's Second Round

Nobody can say the voters weren't told all about Silvio Berlusconi. Major European newspapers and magazines detailed the corruption investigations that have stalked the billionaire-turned-politician for much of the past decade. Editorials highlighted the potential conflict of interest stemming from Berlusconi's control of much of Italy's TV programming. Prominent politicians across Europe wondered aloud how they could deal with a government that included the openly xenophobic and post-fascist parties allied to Berlusconi's center-right coalition. In the end, Italians went to the polls and elected him anyway.

What's more, they made Berlusconi's Forza Italia the nation's most powerful political...

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