Il Cavaliere in quotes
Silvio Berlusconi’s memorable quotes and quips
Silvio Berlusconi, the outspoken four-time Italian prime minister and billionaire media mogul who died on Monday at the age of 86, had a sense of humour that often landed him in trouble.
Here are some of his memorable quotes and quips:
DEC 2022: Berlusconi tells players of his Monza soccer team he would bring "a bus of whores into the locker room" if they managed to beat a top Serie A rival.
OCT 2022: Despite anger in the West over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Berlusconi stood resolutely by his old friend, President Vladimir Putin: "Putin for my birthday sent me 20 bottles of vodka and a very sweet letter. I replied with bottles of Lambrusco and an equally sweet letter."
NOV 2010: "As always, I work without interruption and if occasionally I happen to look a beautiful girl in the face, it's better to like beautiful girls than to be gay," he tells a meeting at a motorcycle industry show in Milan.
OCT 2010: Berlusconi is condemned by the Vatican's official newspaper after he tells a joke about a Jew who charges fellow Jews to hide in his basement from the Nazis, without telling them World War Two is over.
APRIL 2009: During a visit to survivors of an earthquake in the central Abruzzo region, who were staying in emergency tents, Berlusconi says: "They should look at it as a weekend of camping."
NOV 2008: Berlusconi hails Barack Obama as "handsome, young and also *suntanned", after he was elected the United States' first Black president.
FEB 2006: "I am the Jesus Christ of politics," Italian media quoted Berlusconi as telling supporters. "I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone."
JUNE 2005: Berlusconi says he used his charms to persuade Finland's president, Tarja Halonen, to give up her country's claim to host the new European Food Safety Authority. "I had to use all my playboy tactics, even if they have not been used for some time," he said. Finnish ambassador protests.
SEPT 2004: "Mussolini never killed anyone. Mussolini sent people on holiday in (internal) exile," Berlusconi tells Britain's Spectator magazine, replying "yes" when asked if he thought the World War Two dictator was "benign".
JULY 2003: "Mr Schulz, I know there is in Italy a man producing a film on the Nazi concentration camps. I would like to suggest you for the role of Kapo. You'd be perfect," Berlusconi told German lawmaker Martin Schulz, who was heckling him during his debut at the European Parliament. A Kapo was a concentration camp inmate who was given privileges for supervising prisoner work gangs.
JUNE 2003: "One citizen is equal to another (in the eyes of the law) but perhaps this one is slightly more equal than the others, given that 50% of Italians have given him the responsibility of governing the country," he says, referring to himself, during an appearance at a corruption trial in Milan.
FEB 2002: During a group photograph at an informal EU summit in Spain, Berlusconi raises two fingers behind the head of then Spanish foreign minister Josep Pique in the traditional Latin gesture for a cuckold.
OCT 2001: Berlusconi causes outcry in the Muslim world when he says the West "should be conscious of the superiority of our civilisation." He said that while the West has a value system "that has given people widespread prosperity in those countries that embrace it, and guarantees respect for human rights and religion… This respect certainly does not exist in the Islamic countries."
Spotlight on Vocabulary:
"Berlusconi hails Barack Obama as "handsome, young and also (sun)tanned""
(adj) - having pleasantly brown skin caused by being in hot sun (bronceado, moreno)
- He must have been away on holiday. He`s all suntanned.
- Most people find a tanned complexion attractive.
- You have a nice tan. Were you somewhere nice? (estar bronceado)
- I don´t tan easily. (broncearse)
- I never get a tan. (ponerse moreno)
- It's so obviously a fake tan.
#Italy #politics https://t.co/mt5EjWstGe
— English in Madrid (@madteacher72) June 12, 2023
Do we deserve the politicians we have?
Berlusconi puts his foot in it again
Comments
I don´t like these quotes and quips of Il Cavaliery. Perhaps, the quotes of June 2003 about one citizen is more equal than the others and when he cuckolded to Josep Pique had a little joke. The others quotes are boring. There are quotes which are racist, other are Nazi and most are stupid. They almost don´t have sense of humour. He boasts of being funny but he makes a fool of himself. That could be a reflection of his bit futile life. He could take advantage of his money to do something beneficial for society. I remember the programme in Spanish tv, called “Las Mama Chicho”, when he bought the channel.
This kind of person is not my favourite. These people only think in themselves, they don´t try to improve human being, having means to do it. It´s true that all of us could do more than we do, as well as possible, but, at least, we don´t say so nonsense. I don´t imagine that Mr. Obama suntanned to my friends, because they looked at me and they told me: “Are you stupid or you are training”.
See you.
Can you name another Italian PM or President? You might know the current PM but I doubt you will be able to come up with anyone else. We can agree that Berlusconi was a clown but in reality, was he any worse than other Italian leaders?
I don´t like these quotes and quips of Il Cavaliere. Perhaps, the quotes of June 2003 about one citizen is more equal than the others and when he made the cuckold gesture to Josep Pique were quite funny. The others quotes are boring. There are quotes which are racist, another refers to the Nazis and most are stupid. They totally lack humour. He boasts of being funny but he makes a fool of himself. That could be a reflection of his futile life. He could have taken advantage of his money to do something beneficial for society. I remember a programme called "Las Mama Chicho" Spanish TV after he had bought the channel.
This kind of person is not my favourite. These people only think of themselves. Why don't they try to improve the lives of fellow human beings when they have the means to do so? It´s true that all of us could do more than we do, as well as possible, but, at least, we don´t talk such nonsense.
I don´t imagine that Mr. Obama, suntanned to his friends, because they looked at me and they told me: “Are you stupid or you are training”. (Difficult to correct. I can't figure out what you mean with this last sentence)