Patient V.Z., a 66 year old housewife suffered a stroke which compromised her ability to recognise and name people, animals, and objects, Internazionale reported, quoting a study from Cortex magazine.

The woman was able to recognise the face of the Pope (John Paul II), but couldn’t work out who he was.

When shown a photo of Silvio Berlusconi, and asked ‘who is this man?’, she responded “Silvio Berlusconi, a politician, owner of TV stations and very rich”*.

It may be that at the back of her mind, like all Italians, a part of her recognised all the good works that Berlusconi has done for his countrymen (changing media legislation to, coincidentally, favour his own media network, lessening penalties for false accounting etc.). Or it could be a vivid testimony to the power of TV images. Berlusconi is one of, if not the, most broadcast faces on Italian TV. Programmes in favour of him broadcast his smiling face. Programmes critical of him broadcast his arrogant smile. His face is colonising the back of your mind each time you turn on the TV.

Perhaps it’s a work of charity driving the Italian premier to reintroduce electoral advertisement, currently banned by strict regulations on political party broadcasting. After all, should one suffer a stroke like patient V.Z., isn’t it good to have at least one point of reference while recovering?

Berlusconi is not only Italy’s richest man (ads need to be bought and paid for), but he also owns Publitalia, Italy’s biggest advertising agency – which buys and sells ad space on Mediaset, Berlusconi’s media network. In effect, then, should the change of rules come into effect, the opposition parties would have to pay Berlusconi and his various agencies to broadcast ads competing against him.

Who said conflict of interest…

*Thus proving that there is no similarity between Berluska and Mussolini, despite the suggestions by left-wing propagandists. She couldn’t recognise either Hitler or Mussolini!