Here are some quotes from this BBC article:
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has described himself as the most persecuted person “in the entire history of the world”.
Mr Berlusconi also said he was “the best prime minister we can find today”.
In an impassioned statement, he then mistakenly told reporters he had spent millions of euros on “judges”, before correcting himself to say “lawyers”.
Mr Berlusconi was speaking two days after Italy’s top court lifted a law granting him immunity while in office.
Correspondents say the Constitutional Court’s ruling means the 73-year-old billionaire will probably have to face a number of trials for corruption and bribery within months.
… Mr Berlusconi declared “I am without doubt the person who’s been the most persecuted in the entire history of the world and the history of man.”
Given that the gaffe-prone Italian premier has also twice described US President Barack Obama as “suntanned”, it looks as if Mr Belusconi’s self judgement is wide of the mark: instead of being the most persecuted man in the world, other adjectives come to mind. Surely Italy deserves better. And surely it is time to stop outdated concepts in both France and Italy under which the President (in France), and until recently the Prime Minister (in Italy) is immune from prosecution while s/he holds office: no-one should be above the law.
PS this article today adds fuel to the fire:
Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has come under fire after a TV channel he owns secretly filmed a judge who ruled against him in a bribery case
Update 31 Oct 2009: I mentioned above that in France, the President has enjoyed immunity from prosecution whilst in office. This BBC article shows how ludicrous this is: former President Jacques Chirac is only now being properly questioned about allegations of corruption during his tenure as Mayor of Paris from 1977 until 1995 when he became President, and 2 years after he stepped down as President to be replaced by Nicolas Sarkozy:
Former French President Jacques Chirac has been ordered to stand trial on corruption charges.
A magistrate ordered the trial over alleged false job contracts dating from Mr Chirac’s time as Paris mayor.
The 76-year-old served as the capital’s mayor from 1977 until he was elected president in 1995.
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