Berlusconi running for European Parliament from Estonia? Here’s what he needs to do

The theory according to which the Cavaliere would bypass  ineligibility for office was taken seriously by the local press, according to whom there would be 3 legal obstacles that could be overcome

He would circumvent Italian ineligibility by acquiring European Parliament candidacy in Estonia. It is the idea that’s flashing in the Cavaliere’s head. Hearsay for many, but on the other hand it was taken seriously by the Tallinn press. The daily paper Postimees published an article yesterday trying to explain how this theory, which may seem more like fiction – although very difficult – could be possible to realize.

Il Messagero, the first Italian newspeaper to publish the indiscretion, mentioned the case of Giuletto Chiesa, who in the 2009 (after the election 5 years ago in the list Di Pietro – Occhetto) ran for office in Lithuania from a list representing the country’s Russian minorities “For human rights in a united Latvia;” but he was not elected. According to the Roman daily paper, the former Prime Minister plans to aim at Estonia, where he could count on the support of Ernesto Preatoni, a rich businessman with a strong power base in the country.

Therefore the theory was analyzed by the Estonian press which noticed three main obstacles that could however be overcome. According to the Postimees, first and foremost Silvio Berlusconi should take up residency in the country, something that bureaucratically seems to be more or less easy to do. The second problem is that in Estonia anyone serving a prison sentence is forbidden to run for office, but if Berlusconi were to be committed to community service, even this obstacle – with a good lawyer – perhaps could be overcome. The third and last problem would be that of living a legal conflict between ineligibility in his country of origin and the eligibility in his new country of residence. For Brussels which should triumph? According to the Estonian press, at this time not even the National Election Commission is able to answer this question.

But if thanks to a good lawyer (obviously Estonian) the Cavaliere were able to get the go ahead, the only problem left would be to find a party to ‘host’ him on the Independent list. Postimees deems it unlikely that the big alliances concede this space to such a cumbersome character with such lack of training, in case his candidacy were to be accepted, it would be difficult to obtain the necessary votes to send an MEP to Brussels. At that point, Berlusconi could only establish his party, which probably would be called “Go Estonia.”

Meanwhile a blog, Tere Italia, that covers – from Estonia – Italy and the same Balkan countries, jokes and dedicates a series of photomontage of Berlusconi. Dealing in particular with soccer images that the Cavaliere would like to enter the hearts of the Estonians as he did the AC Milan, saving a team in trouble – FC Narva Trans.

Alfonso Bianchi