Berlusconi blitzes back to power with old friends and a showgirl
Silvio Berlusconi’s new government was sworn in yesterday afternoon, completing a changing of the guard from the government of Romano Prodi transacted at blinding speed by Italian standards. Mr Berlusconi left opponents, allies and media observers gasping as he breezed into the head of state’s office on Wednesday with a full list of ministers already prepared. Such a thing has never happened before in messy, snail-pace, fudge-happy post-war Italy, where allocating portfolios among a baffling variety of parties often takes weeks. And over three weeks of talks, Mr Berlusconi has left his coalition allies, the post-Fascist National Alliance and the secessionist Northern League, in no doubt that this time around he will be the boss. The top jobs go to Berlusconi loyalists. Another sure sign of the Forza Italia leader’s deciding vote is the fact that all four women in the cabinet are strikingly good- looking, and include the former showgirl Mara Carfagna (32) (who has a law degree) as equal opportunities minister.
