Rome
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has introduced a bill that would give him immunity from criminal prosecution for as long as he is a member of Parliament. Berlusconi, a billionaire media tycoon, is currently on trial for allegedly bribing judges in a business deal, and he faces dozens of lawsuits. On the stand last week, he refused to answer the charges, saying that he was being persecuted by “a criminal judiciary.” His party promptly introduced a bill to shield all members of Parliament from prosecution. If passed, the law would not only abort Berlusconi’s trial, it would also free his close friend Cesare Previti, who was sentenced last week to 11 years for bribing judges. Protecting lawmakers from frivolous court cases would be “in the interests of the voters,” Berlusconi said this week, “not in my personal interest.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
October 13 editorial cartoonsCartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being releasedThe Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
