On July 1, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi took control of the reigns of the European Union—assuming the office of EU president for the last six months of 2003.
For decades, Italian politics has been renowned for its volatility and controversy. Italy has had 54 changes of government over the past 54 years. Italian politicians are notorious for their abrasive and confrontational approach.
To many, Berlusconi fits this mold. At the time of the transfer of the EU presidency (from Greece to Italy), European news media was saturated with articles belittling the new EU president. From Belfast to Madrid, London to Prague, newspapers printed articles questioning the EU leadership under Berlusconi. A headline from London’s Independent (June 30) summed up the prevailing sentiment: “Europe United in Disgust as Berlusconi Takes EU Throne ….”
Looking at his resume, it’s plain to see why so many question Berlusconi’s ability to lead the EU combine. His political career at home has been strewn with controversy and scandal. Having accumulated for himself an empire ranging from ownership of telecommunications and real estate to various media outlets and a football team, he has been accused of having too many conflicts of interests. Recently, he avoided prosecution for alleged bribery of judges through an immunity law passed by parliament.
Now Berlusconi has more than just his “at home” business dealings and legal problems to fret about.
At the time he took office, many Europeans were concerned about his foreign-policy plans for the EU. Propagating such unconventional ideas as Israel and Russia joining the EU, Berlusconi does not represent the mainstream beliefs of the Union.
The dominant issues on the agenda for Berlusconi’s term in office include: completion of the drafting of the EU constitution, preparing for 2004 expansion, rebuilding the EU-U.S. relationship, boosting the European economy, and addressing domestic and foreign security issues. With some of these issues having traditionally been somewhat controversial, the question now is, can Silvio Berlusconi refrain from turning them into highly divisive issues?
The appointment of Berlusconi will, no doubt, reinforce the desire of many for more stability and consistency in EU leadership. This will likely accelerate calls for the revolving EU presidency to be replaced by the proposed post of a permanent EU president.