Berlusconi Will Not Seek Another Term

| Fri, 04/15/2011 - 08:53

Silvio Berlusconi is Italy’s longest-serving post-war prime minister. After countless scandals, the media mogul has decided that three terms is enough. The ½ûÂþÌìÌà premier announced that he would not seek re-election in 2013.

When Mr. Berlusconi does retire in 2013, he’ll have quite the fund to fall back on. The ½ûÂþÌìÌà prime minister is estimated to be worth around $9 billon.

Mr. Berlusconi may be nearing the end of his nearly two decades in politics, but the prime minister vowed that he would plow ahead with his goal of reforming Italy’s judicial system and would not leave office without changing the constitution.

Unfortunately, some of the so-called reforms appear tailor-made for Prime Minister Berlusconi himself. One bill passed this week would shorten trials for individuals with no prior convictions. The new law will effectively end one of the four trials Mr. Berlusconi is currently facing.