As Thatcher said: 'I want my MONEY BACK' Berlusconi to rock Juncker with EU rebate demand
FORMER ITALIAN prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is heading to Europe to demand that Italy “gets its money back”.
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The flamboyant former leader, 81, known for his love of wild parties and flair for bright clothing, is set to meet a host of European leaders to discuss Italy’s European Union contributions.
Meetings are scheduled with the President of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker, EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, leader of the European Parliament Manfred Weber, President of the Parliament Antonio Tajani and others.
He said yesterday: “We will ask the surplus back from what we pay. As Thatcher said: "I want my money back".
“We will not accept the bail in on the banks, there must be a guarantee of the State, otherwise the banking system will fail”.
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Mr Berlusconi has enjoyed a surge in popularity in the polls over the past year after his rating grew from 16 percent to 28 percent.
He will use his trip to Brussels to tell the EU leaders that he is committed to ensuring that Italy has a growing, and prominent role in the bloc - but he will insist that things be fair.
But, in Brussels, fears are going that Italy’s political future looks shaky.
EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Pierre Moscovici and Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen and opponents, Matteo Renzi, expressed alarm about a centre-right government that could be anti-European.
Mr Berlusconi wants to demonstrate how close his relations are with the leaders of the Commission and the European Parliament, and how the PPE will likely be able to forge a centre-right alliance in the elections.
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Some political watchers suggest that Mr Berlusconi looks ready to lead Italy again if the European Court of Human Rights scraps a ban on him holding public office.
The controversial billionaire resigned in 2011 amid scandal over his private life and an acute debt crisis, but the billionaire media mogul has bounced back.
He was convicted of tax fraud in 2013 and subsequently stripped of his seat in the upper house Senate and banned from holding office until 2019, a decision he has asked the European court to overturn.
He is now leading a centre-right coalition, and polls put him as having the best chance of forming a government after elections on March 4.
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The coalition has no jointly agreed candidate for prime minister. Mr Berluconi has hinted that he might like to run if he can.
Speaking on running for prime minister he said on La7 television: “I would have a duty ... if a ruling were to arrive from Strasbourg that reversed the Senate's decision to expel me, I don't think I could refuse.”
The centre-right coalition, which also includes the smaller, right-wing Brothers of Italy, is polling well ahead of its nearest rivals which has a 40 percent consensus that would give it a realistic chance of governing alone.
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Whichever centre-right party gets the most votes will choose the prime minister candidate, their leaders have agreed.
Currently, Forza Italia is ahead, polling between roughly one and six points above the League.
Europe is central to the centre-right program, also due to the importance of issues such as immigration and security.
Mr Berlusconi will also use his meeting with Mr Juncker and Mr Tajani and Mr Barnier in the European Parliament, to talk about the protection of the rights of the 600 thousand Italians in the United Kingdom.
