Silvio Berlusconi, back in April, as he formed his second government of this legislature, admonished those in the Parliament who spoke of economic crises and a downturn in Italy’s fortunes. It would become, he said, in English heavily-accented by his cheesy grin, ‘a self fulfilling prophecy‘.

It’s hard to face the challenge against world communism (what? who said the cold war finished almost fifteen years ago??) when you have those of little faith amongst your own disciples. Berlusconi’s centre-right Casa della Libert