Silvio Berlusconi and the Politics of Sex

Showgirl in Power
In 2008, Berlusconi formalized the politics-showgirls link by appointing Mara Carfagna, 32, a former velina and topless model as Minister for Equal Opportunities. While Berlusconi's opponents sneer at her appointment as a crude appeal to the country's collective libido, his supporters see it as a democratizing act in a country that has been run by old men for a long time.

• Berlusconi's Girls
• Berlusconi Gaffes