Berlusconi’s use of vulgar word causes outrage

ITALIAN Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s use of a vulgar word to denigrate his adversaries and his vow to eliminate property taxes raised the heat of campaigning yesterday, just five days ahead of a general election.

Mr Berlusconi, during an address to a shopkeepers’ group, branded centre-left voters “coglioni”.

The Italian word is slang for “testicles” but is commonly used as a vulgar insult to describe someone of little intelligence.

“I have too much esteem for the intelligence of Italians to think that they could be such ‘coglioni’ to vote against their own interests,” he said. “Excuse my rough but efficient language.”

The incident rocketed to the top item on many Italian media websites, and centre-left politicians, led by former European Commissioner Romano Prodi, slammed Mr Berlusconi who is behind in the latest opinion polls.

“Berlusconi has confirmed himself to be an uncouth and vulgar man,” the opposition bloc said in a statement.

Mr Berlusconi, who has repeatedly accused his opponents of showering him with insults during the election campaign, later defended himself, saying his comments were intended to be “ironic” and were being “manipulated”.

The Democrats of the Left, the largest party in the centre-left, said Berlusconi owed an apology to the more than 16 million Italians who did not vote for him in the 2001 elections.

Before the “coglioni” episode, the opposition was blasting Mr Berlusconi for an announcement he made on Monday night.

Speaking during a nationally-televised debate against Mr Prodi, he promised that Italians will no longer have to pay property tax, known as ICI, on their primary residences.

The tax on primary residences takes in €2.3 billion, which goes to towns to finance public services.

“He made the tax cut promise in such a demagogic way,” said Piero Fassino, head of the largest party in Mr Prodi’s centre-left coalition.

“But today, Berlusconi owes an explanation to 8,000 mayors who want to know where money will come from for public services - day care, the elderly, road works - everything now financed by the property tax,” Fassino said.

The last surveys released before a polling ban came into force 10 days ago put Mr Prodi’s bloc between 3.5 and 5.0 percentage points ahead.