patrick.net

Born 29 September 1936, Died 12 June 2023.

His famous quotes:

On himself:

"The best political leader in Europe and in the world."
"There is no-one on the world stage who can compete with me."
"Out of love for Italy, I felt I had to save it from the left."
"The right man in the right job."
"I don't need to go into office for the power. I have houses all over the world, stupendous boats... beautiful airplanes, a beautiful wife, a beautiful family... I am making a sacrifice."

Private life

"When asked if they would like to have sex with me, 30% of women said, 'Yes', while the other 70% replied, 'What, again?'"
As allegations swirled about escorts and "Bunga, bunga" parties, Mr Berlusconi admitted: "I am not a saint, you've all understood that."
"I never understood where the satisfaction is when you're missing the pleasure of conquest."
"It's better to like beautiful girls than to be gay."

Battles with the courts

I have been the victim of "judicial harassment that is unmatched in the civilised world".
"In exchange for the commitments I have made over almost 20 years in favour of my country and coming almost at the end of my public life, I have been rewarded with accusations and a verdict that is founded on absolutely nothing. Is this the way Italy recognises the sacrifices and commitment of its best citizens?"
"I am without doubt the person who's been the most persecuted in the entire history of the world and the history of man."
"In my opinion, and not only mine, I am the best prime minister we can find today."
"I am the Jesus Christ of politics. I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone."
On judges pursuing former Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti on charges relating to the Mafia: "Those judges are doubly mad! In the first place, because they are politically mad, and in the second place because they are mad anyway. If they do that job, it is because they are anthropologically different from the rest of the human race."

Politics and the Italian Left

He contrasted his "cultured and well-prepared" candidates with the other parties' "malodorous and badly dressed people".
"The left has no taste, even when it comes to women."
"I trust the intelligence of the Italian people too much to think that there are so many pricks around who would vote against their own best interests."
"I will try to meet your expectations, and I promise from now on, two-and-a-half months of absolute sexual abstinence, until [election day on] 9 April." He later insisted the pledge was "just a joke".
"If I, taking care of everyone's interests, also take care of my own, you can't talk about a conflict of interest."

After 11 September attacks

"We must be aware of the superiority of our civilisation, a system that has guaranteed well-being, respect for human rights and - in contrast with Islamic countries - respect for religious and political rights, a system that has as its value understanding of diversity and tolerance...
"The West will continue to conquer peoples, even if it means a confrontation with another civilisation, Islam, firmly entrenched where it was 1,400 years ago."
His response to worldwide condemnation of the above speech: "They have tried to hang me on an isolated word, taken out of context from my whole speech."
"I did not say anything against the Islamic civilisation... It's the work of some people in the Italian leftist press who wanted to tarnish my image and destroy my long-standing relations with Arabs and Muslims."

President Obama's skin colour

"[Mr Obama is] young, handsome and suntanned."
His response to the wave of criticism following the remark: ''God save us from imbeciles... How can you take such a great compliment negatively?"
"Ah, Barack Obama. You won't believe it, but the two of them sunbathe together, because the wife is also tanned."

Women

"Women are lining up to marry me. Legend has it, I know how to do it."
"Italy is now a great country to invest in... Today we have fewer communists and those who are still there deny having been one. Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries... superb girls."

To a German newspaper:

"In Italy, I am almost seen as German for my workaholism. Also I am from Milan, the city where people work the hardest. Work, work, work - I am almost German."

Other politicians

In June 2005, on enlisting the support of Finnish President Tarja Halonen for Italy to host the European Food Safety Authority: "I had to use all my playboy tactics." I had to "endure the Finnish diet", such as smoked herrings.
To German MEP Martin Schulz, "I know that in Italy there is a man producing a film on Nazi concentration camps - I shall put you forward for the role of Kapo (guard chosen from among the prisoners) - you would be perfect."
During the controversy raging over the above remark: "I'll try to soften it and become boring, maybe even very boring, but I am not sure I will be able to do it."
At the Brussels summit, at the end of Italy's EU presidency, in December 2003: "Let's talk about football and women." (Turning to four-times-married German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder.) "Gerhard, why don't you start?"
On his first meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in 2002, Berlusconi complimented him with the words: "Mr Rasmussen is not only a great colleague, he's also the best-looking prime minister in Europe."

On Aids

"An Aids patient asks his doctor whether the sand treatment prescribed him will do any good. 'No', the doctor replies, 'but you will get accustomed to living under the earth'."
His response to critics: "They have lost their minds; they really have come to the end of the line, indeed they have gone beyond it. I would advise them, too, to undergo sand treatment..."