Silvio Berlusconi told young
industrialists on Capri Friday that he hoped a ruling by the
European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg expected on
November 22 would lift a ban on him holding office and he would
be able to stand as the centre right's premier candidate in next
year's general election.
If not, he said, he would be the "regista", a term meaning
"director" in the film world or "playmaker" in his favourite
soccer parlance, of the centre-right alliance.
Ex-premier Berlusconi, leader of the centre-right Forza
Italia (FI) party, is vying with anti-euro, anti-immigrant
Northern League (LN) leader Matteo Salvini to lead an FI-LN
coalition also featuring the small rightwing nationalist
Brothers of Italy (FdI) party.
In June the European Court of Human Rights said Berlusconi's
appeal against a ban on him holding public office would be heard
by its Grand Chamber on November 22.
The Grand Chamber is usually reserved for cases that are
particularly important or complex.
The former premier was ousted from parliament in 2013 under
the 2012 Severino Law that prevents anyone sentenced to over two
years from holding or running for public office for at least six
years.
The law, named after then justice minister Paola Severino,
kicked in after the media billionaire was handed a definitive
conviction for tax fraud.
The three-time former premier and media tycoon was sentenced
to four years in prison for masterminding a tax-dodging strategy
by his Mediaset company, commuted to one year of community
service which he served between 2014 and 2015.
Berlusconi argues that Italy violated European legislation by
applying the 2012 law retroactively, thus imposing a harsher
penalty than was applicable at the time of the crime for which
he was convicted.
He complained of violations of Article 7 (no punishment
without law), Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) and
Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 (right to free elections).
The Grand Chamber comprises seventeen judges, including the
President and the Vice-Presidents of the Court, the Section
Presidents, the national judge and other judges drawn by lot.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
