Berlusconi facing Lewinsky-like scandal[fr][de] 

Like in the Lewinsky case, which almost triggered the impeachment of former US President Bill Clinton, it is Berlusconi's possible lies to the public that are under public scrutiny rather than his private life itself.

The suspected relationship was brought to the attention of Italians when Berlusconi decided to attend the eighteenth birthday party of Noemi Letizia in a restaurant near Naples at the end of April. He brought as a present a necklace worth €6,000.

A few Italian media, among those not under the control of the Italian tycoon, questioned why Berlusconi attended that party. Although he is famous for having a dynamic night-life at the age of 72, some newspapers claimed that there is a direct relationship between Berlusconi and Noemi Letizia.

The reports, bundled with indiscretions about the inclusion of starlets in the lists of Berlusconi's party, the PDL, for the next European Parliament elections, attracted the scorn of his wife, Veronica Lario, who asked for a divorce after almost 20 years of marriage (EurActiv 07/05/09).

She publicly justified her move by saying that her husband "has relationships with teenagers". Public opinion, opposition politicians and the Church requested clarifications from the prime minister.

Inviting himself onto the most popular political show on Italian television, Porta a Porta, Berlusconi dismissed all accusations, saying that he went to the party to pay tribute to the father of Noemi, Benedetto Letizia, a civil servant who has had problems with the law in the past and described by the Italian Prime Minister as an old friend.

However, Berlusconi's public explanations of his friendship with Benedetto Letizia were immediately exposed as incongruent. He said he knew Letizia as the driver of former Italian Prime Minister and Berlusconi’s close friend Bettino Craxi. But Craxi's son Bobo, a popular politician in Italy, denied this.

Berlusconi also said he met Letizia on the night of the party to discuss candidacies for the European elections, but present candidates denied any relationship with Letizia.

Although unclear, Berlusconi's version of the facts remained almost completely unchallenged in mainstream media, until a new exclusive interview  published by opposition newspaper La Repubblica on Sunday shed new light on a murky story.

Interviewed by the paper, Noemi's 22 year-old ex-boyfriend, Gino Flaminio, gave his version of the facts, saying that Berlusconi had known Noemi personally rather than through her father. Gino recalled that Berlusconi himself had called Noemi after having seen her picture among a list of would-be starlets for his popular TV channels.

According to Flaminio, Berlusconi had invited Noemi to spend New Year's Eve 2008 at his villa in Sardinia, where she spent almost ten days. At that time she was 17. Noemi's father announced that he would sue Flaminio and La Repubblica for defamation.

In an interview with CNN yesterday (25 May), Berlusconi announced his intention to react to the unfair campaign mounted against him. In the meantime, other rumours suggest that Noemi is not a flirt but possibly the secret daughter of the prime minister.