Former premier Silvio Berlusconi has infuriated Italy’s legal establishment by blasting a group of women magistrates as “feminist” and “communist” for what he said was his $260,000-a-day divorce settlement.
The comments — and the backlash — have added to the drama surrounding Mr. Berlusconi’s return to public life amid his continued sexual and legal scandals, and his new role as leader of a centre-right coalition campaigning in February’s election.
Italian media initially reported Mr. Berlusconi’s divorce from his second wife, Veronica Lario, would cost him ¤36-million ($47-million) a year, or about $130,000 a day.
But on Tuesday, Mr. Berlusconi told the La7 private television network the amount was much higher. While he didn’t detail how he got to the ¤200,000-a-day ($260,000-a-day) figure, he said he was ordered by the Milan magistrates to pay Ms. Lario ¤36-million a year, plus ¤72-million ($94-million) in back payments.
“These are three women judges, feminists and communists, OK?” the three-time ex-premier said. “These are the Milan judges who have persecuted me since 1994.”
Mr. Berlusconi has long accused Milan prosecutors and magistrates of mounting politically inspired cases against him.
Milan chief judge Livia Pomodoro said Wednesday she was “surprised and hurt” by the remarks, and “as a woman I am degraded.”
In a joint statement, Ms. Pomodoro and the head of Milan’s appeals court “strongly rejected any insinuation of partiality” by the tribunal’s judges, whom they described as “diligent professionals.”
While she said criticizing the justice system is healthy, Judge Pomodoro told private Radio 24, “I believe that qualifying a decision as biased because it was made by women, rather than men, does not seem right to me.”
While she said criticizing the justice system is healthy, Judge Pomodoro told private Radio 24, “I believe that qualifying a decision as biased because it was made by women, rather than men, does not seem right to me.”
She was not one of the judges on the Berlusconi divorce.