Deutsche Welle: Berlusconi has an eye for election fraud

The western media continue to discuss the visit of the Italian PM to Belarus and his meeting with Lukashenka.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is famous for his demonstrative behaviour, Deutsche Welle writes. This tie he visited Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka, an exciting figure for Europe.

The Italian opposition is shocked: the democrats speak about flagrant superficiality and carelessness, the Christian democrats try to interrogate him before parliamentary sessions. The Italian prime minister’s foreign policy creates a furore, German journalist Gregor Hopp writes.

The main rebuke to Berlusconi is that he freed Belarusian dictator Lukashenka from the international isolation the latter deserves. Berlusconi was the first western leader to visit Belarus for the last 15 years. The visit was regarded as enhancing prestige of Lukashenka’s regime, the notorious last dictator of Europe.

Besides, Berlusconi lavished praises to the host party, which sounded like a mockery taking into account the real political relations: “Good luck to you, your government and your people. I know ho you love your people, the results of presidential elections, which we see and respect, show this.”

At the same time, Deutsche Welle notes, the European Union imposed a travel ban on Alyaksandr Lukashenka. The decision was caused by mass election fraud and harsh methods of fighting against opposition.

Berlusconi has an eye for election fraud: he saw this during his latest defeat, which was possible in spite of the fact that Berlusconi’s government was responsible for preparation for the elections in 2006, and his interior minister failed to notice any violations.

If Berlusconi decides to tell the parliament about his trip to Belarus, a question might arise whether this visit was agreed upon with his EU partners.