A Quantum Diaries Survivor

Faithful to the common wisdom that even eagles can sometimes walk with chicken, I will for once allow myself some second-hand, low-level gossip. The subject is our beloved ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi, who -at the mature age of 71 years- appears to be still sexually attracted to young members of the opposite sex.

Berlusconi’s marriage was discussed in bars and hair salons even more than usual a few months ago, when his younger wife Veronica Lario, usually a very reserved person, bought a whole page of a major daily newspaper to write an open letter to her husband, who had been reported by the media of expressing quite openly his appreciation to a young and pretty actress in public, going as far as showing regret for being unable to propose to her. Despite the unusual medium, Veronica’s letter was the utterly normal cry of solitude of a wife left alone by a too busy and unattentive husband, and Berlusconi answered publicly, for once outdoing the soap-operas his TV networks in audience and in drama, with a letter which had according to analysts been closely reviewed by his lawyers.

Now, far from the TV screen since his defeat in last years’ elections, Berlusconi has given little chance of gossip for a while. However, the latest news on his private activities come from the weekly magazine “Oggi”, who published pictures of Berlusconi in one of his villas in Sardinia, encircled by young girls with which he appears to entertain himself, holding their hands while walking in the park, keeping them on his lap, and the like. Nothing really bad or obscene, of course, but one gets the feeling that the guy is on to something.

Who am I to blame him, or cast the first stone… I well understand that a physically fit 71-years old man may feel the need of these sorts of activities. But I am led to believe his marriage is short-lived, and with it, his political career.