Berlusconi appears on talk show to reject wife’s claims

A COMBATIVE talk show appearance by Silvio Berlusconi to reject his estranged wife’s charges of “frequenting minors” suggests the Italian leader fears political fallout from their public row, analysts said yesterday.

“What is certain is that the prime minister is aware of the seriousness of the crisis [and wants to] reassure his electorate,” said Stefano Folli of the financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore.

The conservative Berlusconi, 72, blamed the row on a media-fuelled “left-wing plot” to convince his already estranged wife, Veronica Lario, that he had a romantic link with an 18-year-old aspiring model.