Addressing the honourable Federation of Merchants and Shopkeepers, Signor Berlusconi said that only coglioni would consider voting for the centre-left opposition.
“I have too much esteem for the intelligence of Italians to think that they could be such coglioni as to vote against their own interests".
“I apologise for the crude but effective language.”
“ironically, with a smile on my lips”
At a meeting late on Tuesday, he changed the epithet to "masochists."
"Whoever is going to vote for the left is doing something to damage themselves. What are they if not masochists? There, let's call them masochists," said the prime minister, apparently pleased with his precision.
For the record, Signor Berlusconi claimed that seven out of nine chatline girls said that they would vote for him.
JOURNALISTES EMBARRASSES
Le mot qui fâche a donc été répété à plusieurs reprises au journal du 20 heures par des présentateurs faisant tout leur possible pour garder l'air stoïque en prononçant l'expression qui encore aujourd'hui peut valoir une punition aux écoliers.
Il s'est également retrouvé en "une" de presque tous les quotidiens. Au cours de sa revue de presse, une journaliste s'est même senti obligée de s'excuser auprès des téléspectateurs pour avoir prononcé plusieurs fois le mot en question à une heure aussi matinale...
El líder de los Demócratas de Izquierda (principal partido de oposición), Piero Fassino, declaró que "estamos a un nivel de lenguaje de bodegón”
El premier Silvio Berlusconi dijo hoy que en Italia no puede haber tantos "coglioni" (cabrones o pelotudos) que voten por la izquierda, a días de las elecciones políticas del 9 y 10 de abril.
Berlusconi usó la palabra italiana "coglioni", que significa "testículos" (pero también cretino, pendejo, huevón, según la traducción para cada país o región de Hispanoamérica, aclara la agencia ANSA) para describir a los electores que darán su voto a la oposición de centro izquierda liderada por Romano Prodi.
cfr.:
www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2119208,00.html
The Times April 05, 2006
Berlusconi seeks votes in sex lines and swear words
From Richard Owen in Rome
HE HAS vowed to give up sex for the election, compared himself to Jesus and Napoleon, and admitted phoning late-night erotic chat lines. Nothing, it seems, is out of bounds for Silvio Berlusconi.
But yesterday the Italian Prime Minister, trailing in opinion polls before Sunday’s vote, perhaps went a step too far when he suggested that left-wing voters were “dickheads”.
Addressing the honourable Federation of Merchants and Shopkeepers, Signor Berlusconi said that only coglioni would consider voting for the centre-left opposition.
“I have too much esteem for the intelligence of Italians to think that they could be such coglioni as to vote against their own interests.
“I apologise for the crude but effective language.”
The Prime Minister, whose faltering campaign has lacked the brash self-confidence that swept the millionaire businessman to office, said that he had spoken “ironically, with a smile on my lips”. But opposition politicians said that Signor Berlusconi had insulted all Italians. “Berlusconi has confirmed himself to be an uncouth and vulgar man,” the opposition bloc said.
“By using these ignoble and violent words, Berlusconi has thrown off the mask and shown himself for what he is: a person who uses the media like a thug and who lacks any respect for democracy, for institutions and for Italians.”
Signor Berlusconi surprised voters by promising to abolish council tax if he is re-elected. The pledge, apparently unscripted, was made at the very end of the second and final televised debate with Romano Prodi. It would cost councils €2.3 billion (£1.61 billion) a year. Signor Prodi said that the proposal made no economic sense and would bankrupt towns and cities. He accused Signor Berlusconi of demagoguery, saying that he had not explained how he would pay for cutting the tax at a time when Italy’s finances were “in a terrible state”.
For the record, Signor Berlusconi claimed that seven out of nine chatline girls said that they would vote for him.
news.ft.com/cms/s/ad45874e-c4af-11da-b7c1-0000779e2340.html
Berlusconi accused of abusing TV power
Tony Barber in Rome
Published: April 5 2006 15:53 | Last updated: April 5 2006 15:53
On Tuesday Mr Berlusconi caused a shock by saying people who voted for the left were “coglioni” - “dickheads”.
www.cantabriaconfidencial.com/actualidad/2006/abril06/0...
Martes, 4 de abril de 2006
El primer ministro multiplica sus excesos verbales en la recta final de la campaña electoral
Berlusconi llama "gilipollas" a los votantes de izquierdas
El primer ministro italiano, Silvio Berlusconi, ha provocado una nueva polémica a cinco días de las elecciones legislativas, al calificar a los italianos que voten a la izquierda de coglioni, palabra italiana cuya traducción más aproximada al castellano es "gilipollas". Este comentario ha desencadenado una ola de protestas por parte de la oposición. "Tengo mucha estima por la inteligencia de los italianos para pensar que haya por ahí tanto gilipollas que pueda votar en contra de sus intereses", dijo el primer ministro italiano ante la confederación de comerciantes. Berlusconi se apresuró a pedir disculpas, aunque no por el insulto, sino por utilizar "un lenaguaje basto, pero eficaz".
www.lanacion.cl/prontus_noticias/site/artic/20060404/pags/20060404175...
Berlusconi recurre al insulto para referirse al electorado opositor
Agencias
El premier Silvio Berlusconi dijo hoy que en Italia no puede haber tantos "coglioni" (cabrones o pelotudos) que voten por la izquierda, a días de las elecciones políticas del 9 y 10 de abril.
Berlusconi usó la palabra italiana "coglioni", que significa "testículos" (pero también cretino, pendejo, huevón, según la traducción para cada país o región de Hispanoamérica, aclara la agencia ANSA) para describir a los electores que darán su voto a la oposición de centro izquierda liderada por Romano Prodi.
"Tengo demasiada confianza en la inteligencia de los italianos para creer que pueda haber tantos 'coglioni'' que votan en contra de sus intereses", dijo Berlusconi, en referencia a su propuesta de anoche de abolir el impopular impuesto sobre la primera casa (ICI) en el caso de victoria en las elecciones, medida considerada demagógica por la centroizquierda.
Tras su exabrupto, la oposición denunció la "vulgaridad y violencia" de sus afirmaciones. El líder de los Demócratas de Izquierda (principal partido de oposición), Piero Fassino, declaró que "estamos a un nivel de lenguaje de bodegón”, y añadió que los dichos de Berlusconi demuestran “a qué punto la agresión y la miseria han llegado al comportamiento del premier”. A su turno, el ex fiscal y legislador izquierdista Antonio Di Pietro indicó: “Mejor 'coglioni' que Berlusconi”.
Romano Prodi, quien sostuvo la noche del lunes un áspero debate televisivo con el premier, pidió respeto durante la campaña al afirmar que "no me atrevería nunca a otorgarles a los electores de Forza Italia (la alianza que apoya a Berlusconi) epítetos anatómicos como los que recibimos nosotros hoy. Para los electores de Forza Italia tengo respeto".
Pero el premier se defendió de esta andanada de críticas, diciendo que "ellos me lanzan acusaciones serias como las de delincuente político, asesino y mafioso, y no se disculparon. Yo, con ironía y con la sonrisa en mis labios, me expresé ante un público amigo". Añadió que "disculpen mi rudeza pero es un lenguaje eficaz".
Asimismo, en tiempo récord, los italianos salieron a las calles a protestar por estos dichos de Berlusconi, portando carteles con la inscripción "Soy un cabrón.
La manifestación fue anunciada en el sitio "sonouncoglione.com”, cuyo creador, Massimiliano Cavallo, comentó que "con los jóvenes del Master de comunicación política 'Mr.pol' creamos en pocos minutos el sitio tras las afirmaciones de Berlusconi, y tres horas después ya habíamos recibido más de 50 mil contactos con visitantes de todo el mundo y también de italianos en el exterior".
www.elpais.es/articulo/elpporint/20060405elpepiint_7/Tes/internacional/Berlusconi/recurre/insulto/ganar/terreno/tramo/final...
Elecciones en Italia
Berlusconi recurre al insulto para ganar terreno en el tramo final de la campaña
El primer ministro italiano llama "gilipollas" a los votantes del centro-izquierda
ENRIC GONZÁLEZ - Roma
EL PAÍS - Internacional - 05-04-2006
Il Cavaliere, ante un auditorio de comerciantes berlusconianos, pronunció la frase del día: "Tengo demasiada estima por la inteligencia de los italianos como para pensar que haya por ahí tantos gilipollas que puedan votar contra sus propios intereses", dijo, en referencia a los votantes del centro-izquierda. Y agregó: "Perdonen mi lenguaje, tosco pero eficaz". ¿Cuál era el objetivo de ese exabrupto? A estas alturas, nada de lo que dice Berlusconi es espontáneo. Posiblemente aspiraba a monopolizar de nuevo todos los titulares, relegando al "cura de pueblo", como llama a Prodi cuando no le llama "tonto útil", a las páginas interiores.
www.lexpress.fr/info/infojour/reuters.asp?id=17856&1606
mercredi 5 avril 2006, mis à jour à 16:18
Le gros mot de Silvio Berlusconi est sur toutes les lèvres
Reuters
"Coglioni", le gros mot utilisé mardi par Silvio Berlusconi pour dénigrer ses adversaires, a quitté les conversations de comptoir pour animer celles des salons italiens et provoque un débat national quatre jours avant les élections législatives.
© Reuters
Lors d'un discours à une association de commerçants, le président du Conseil italien a utilisé le mot "coglioni", littéralement "testicules", pour désigner les électeurs de centre gauche.
Dans le langage courant, le terme est utilisé par les Italiens comme une insulte, que l'on peut traduire par "couillon", "abruti", "crétin" ou "idiot".
"En privé, vous pouvez bien sûr employer cette expression mais pas en public lorsque vous êtes filmé", affirme le professeur James Walston, directeur du département des relations internationales à l'Université américaine de Rome.
"Si (le Premier ministre britannique) Blair ou (le président américain) Bush avaient traité d'abrutis tous ceux qui ont voté contre eux, (...), je ne peux pas croire que quiconque au sein de leur majorité ou dans l'opposition aurait trouvé cela convenable", a-t-il ajouté.
JOURNALISTES EMBARRASSES
Le mot qui fâche a donc été répété à plusieurs reprises au journal du 20 heures par des présentateurs faisant tout leur possible pour garder l'air stoïque en prononçant l'expression qui encore aujourd'hui peut valoir une punition aux écoliers.
Il s'est également retrouvé en "une" de presque tous les quotidiens. Au cours de sa revue de presse, une journaliste s'est même senti obligée de s'excuser auprès des téléspectateurs pour avoir prononcé plusieurs fois le mot en question à une heure aussi matinale...
"Tenir de tels propos, c'était minable. Je pense que cela a offensé tous les Italiens", affirme Maurizio Caprio, un infirmier. Roberto Flamini, un chauffeur de taxi à Rome, ne s'est, lui, pas senti blessé car "cet incident en dit plus sur Berlusconi que sur les Italiens".
Il reste que la campagne pour les législatives italiennes des 9 et 10 avril a été extrêmement virulente et que les insultes, nombreuses, ont fusé entre les adversaires.
Romano Prodi, le chef de file de l'opposition de centre gauche a traité Berlusconi de "nul" et l'a - indirectement - comparé à un ivrogne. Le président du Conseil n'a pas été en reste en qualifiant Prodi d'"idiot utile" et de "pauvre homme".
Un éditorial affirme mercredi que le débat politique en Italie s'est réduit à de "l'humour de chambrée".
today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-04-05T145620Z_01_L0597050_RTRUKOC_0_UK-I...
Italy PM forced to drop TV show in election row
Wed Apr 5, 2006 3:56 PM BST
© Reuters 2006
On Tuesday, Berlusconi shocked many Italians when he said people would have to be "coglioni" to vote for Prodi -- a vulgar term that literally means testicles but is an insult equivalent to "asshole" or "prick" in English.
www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,,1746942,00.html
Berlusconi accused of hitting new low after 'dickheads' jibe
· PM is vulgar and uncouth, says opposition
· Latest insult follows television duel with Prodi
John Hooper in Rome
Wednesday April 5, 2006
The Guardian
Silvio Berlusconi was accused yesterday of dragging Italy's already raucous general election campaign into the gutter when he declared that those who voted against him would be "dickheads".
Speaking to journalists about the expected outcome of the election next Sunday and Monday, the Prime Minister said: "I have too much respect for the Italians to think there are that many dickheads around who'd vote against their own interests."
www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,,1747068,00.html
Italian elections
A dull and dirty campaign
Leader
Wednesday April 5, 2006
The Guardian
Yesterday he plumbed new depths of vulgarity by calling opponents coglioni, which translates as dickheads. Things have got so acrimonious that the US last week warned visitors to Italy of the risk of election violence - not great news for a government which supported George Bush over Iraq.
news.independent.co.uk/europe/article355803.ece
Independent, UK
Berlusconi's 'testicle' insult overshadows poll debate
By Peter Popham in Palermo
Published: 05 April 2006
On Monday he called his opponent Romano Prodi "a useful idiot" in the service of his coalition's former Communists; yesterday the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi went further, telling a shopkeepers' association that those who voted for the left were coglioni, literally "testicles" but usually intended to mean idiots or cretins.
"I have too much esteem for the intelligence of Italians to think that they would be such coglioni as to vote against their own interests," Mr Berlusconi said, smiling broadly. "Excuse my rough but efficient language."
www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/04/news/italy.php
International Herald Tribune
The New York Times
Berlusconi saves his best shot for last
By Peter Kiefer The New York Times
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2006
The mood of the debate spilled over into the campaign Tuesday.
Speaking to a group of shopkeepers, Berlusconi labeled anyone planning to vote for the center-left opposition as "coglioni," a vulgar word for testicles. He later said he was being "ironic"
euronews.net/create_html.php?page=detail_info&article=3523...
Opposition sees red over Berlusconi's blue language
During an address to a shopowners group he used the word 'coglioni', which means 'testicles' but normally implies 'low intelligence'.
www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=qw114423822...
Independent Online, South Africa
Berlusconi sparks backlash after voter insult
April 05 2006 at 02:35PM
By Denis Barnett
Rome - Trailing in the opinion polls four days short of Italy's general election, conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has sparked a backlash among left-wing voters for describing them as "bloody stupid".
Berlusconi, in the dying days of a five-year term peppered with gaffes, sparked spontaneous left-wing demonstrations in Rome after using a vulgar Italian word for testicles, "coglione," to describe people who intended to vote for his left-wing rival Romano Prodi.
The word, also taken to refer to a person as "bloody stupid," showed that Berlusconi "is holding the Italian people in contempt," said Prodi, who had a lead of up to five percentage points in opinion polls until pre-electoral surveys were suspended last week.
'I take a dim view'
Photographs of smiling protesters holding up posters with the legend "I'm a coglione" featured in mainstream Italian newspapers on Wednesday as the campaign for Sunday's general election took a bizarre turn.
The affair embarrassed allies in Berlusconi's House of Freedoms coalition, including former deputy prime minister Marco Follini of the Christian Democrat UDC.
"I take a dim view. It's a word used by Berlusconi, and some time ago the newspaper of the (opposition) Democrats of the Left used it to describe him. Either way, I consider it deplorable," Follini said in an interview in the Corriere della Sera.
Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini said Berlusconi could be excused for using a "slang word, used by eight out of 10 Italians. It's like saying 'jerk'".
The Corriere and other leading dailies gave broad coverage to Berlusconi's use of the offending epithet.
One of his advisers, Italian Catholic priest Gianni Baget Bozzo, backed the prime minister, though not his choice of word.
"Don't call them 'coglioni' because that's simply a bad word. Call them 'mistaken Italians', but Berlusconi's assessment of those who vote for the left is legitimate and I share it," Corriere della Sera quoted the priest as saying.
Addressing businessmen on Tuesday, Berlusconi said: "I have too much esteem for the intelligence of the Italian people to think that there are enough 'coglioni' who can vote against their own interests." He later claimed the remark was "just irony".
At a meeting late on Tuesday, he changed the epithet to "masochists."
"Whoever is going to vote for the left is doing something to damage themselves. What are they if not masochists? There, let's call them masochists," said the prime minister, apparently pleased with his precision.
The row is all the more damaging for Berlusconi as it deflected attention from his announcement of a massive tax break for homeowners.
The surprise announcement came in the closing minutes of a tense televised debate with Prodi on Monday, and appeared to sow confusion in left-wing ranks.
Local councils depend on the so-called ICI tax for revenues, and Prodi has demanded to know how the €2,3-billion shortfall could be made up.
While many on the centre-right felt the move was a master stroke designed to swing undecided voters, Follini questioned how Berlusconi intended to pay for it.
"The intention is good, I wouldn't discredit it, but I'd like to understand how the cost is going to be covered," he said. - Sapa-AFP