Vice-President of Italian Senate has a go at 'Mr Nobody' Olli Rehn

Maurizio Gasparri, a senior member of Silvio Berlusconi's PdL party and a Vice-President of the Italian Senate, yesterday launched one of the toughest verbal attacks on a member of the European Commission we can think of over the past months, if not years. His target was EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, and here's what Mr Gasparri said,

It's time to stop it with the 'corporals of the day' such as this Olli Rehn, a Mr Nobody who comes to Italy acting as a supervisor. He should rather meditate on the disasters that people like him have caused by destroying Europe. Thick bureaucrats who kill the peoples [of Europe] and make the continent die because of China’s unfair competition and [their] ruinous economic policies. This Rehn is persona non grata. He should take a plane, go back home and pay as many taxes he likes.

But what prompted this rant? Very simple. During a hearing in the Italian parliament earlier in the day, Rehn had noted that the abolition of a controversial property tax on first homes – one of Berlusconi's flagship electoral pledges – was not in line with the European Commission's economic policy recommendations to Italy, and cast doubts over the country's ability to meet the deficit targets agreed with Brussels.

Interestingly, Mr Gasparri's critical reaction to Rehn's remarks was not the only one of the day either, though arguably the most colourful. Stefano Fassina, Italy's centre-left Deputy Economy Minister, also invited Rehn to "think about the mistakes the European Commission has made in all these years instead of continuing to give us lessons." Another sign that 'austerity fatigue' in Italy is also mounting among a number of top politicians, not just the citizens.   

Verdict day for Berlusconi: Could a lose-lose scenario materialise for Letta?

Supreme Court judges in Rome have started deliberating, and the final verdict in Silvio Berlusconi's tax fraud case is expected by this evening. The former Italian Prime Minister is appealing against a four-year jail sentence and a five-year public office ban (see our reader-friendly Q&A for more details).

If the Supreme Court upholds the conviction, it would be the first time Berlusconi is issued with a definitive sentence, with no more appeals left. However, two further points of background are worth noting:

• As we explained in our Q&A, if Berlusconi were convicted by the Supreme Court, the Italian Senate would have to vote on whether to lift his parliamentary immunity. However, the immunity would not cover the jail sentence - which would be enforced anyway because it would be a definitive one (although in practice it would almost certainly amount to house arrest, given Berlusconi's age). 

• A majority of Italian Senators could potentially overturn the Supreme Court ruling on this point. This would mean that Berlusconi would not have to resign as a Senator, and would be allowed to stand for election in future.

Interestingly, Prime Minister Enrico Letta's centre-left Democratic Party (currently in a coalition with Berlusconi) could face a lose-lose situation there:

• If the Democratic Party helped vote Berlusconi out of parliament, it could put the government at risk.

• If the Democratic Party voted against the public office ban, it would presumably annoy many of its voters and allow Berlusconi to continue to exert direct influence on Italian politics. It would also provide ammunition to someone like Beppe Grillo, who would instantly claim that 'La Casta' (the caste) has closed ranks to protect Berlusconi. Of course, the Italian Senate going against a Supreme Court ruling would also be a pretty big thing.

Now, we have the joy of waiting for the verdict. Stay tuned @OpenEurope and @LondonerVince.

Could Berlusconi's trials put the Italian government at risk? Not immediately, but...

The news didn't exactly go unnoticed in the media across Europe, but just in case: Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced to seven years in prison and a lifetime ban from holding public office in the well-known 'Ruby trial'. The usual caveats apply:

• The sentence is not immediately effective, because Berlusconi has the right to two further appeals. Given that it took 26 months to get to yesterday's ruling, the trial will not be concluded anytime soon;

• Berlusconi will turn 77 in September, meaning that he is unlikely to serve any time in prison anyway because of his age.

Clearly, the big question is what impact Berlusconi's trials could have on the stability of Italy's coalition government - whose survival depends on support from his PdL party. The short answer is: no-one knows.

So far, Berlusconi has consistently stressed that these are two separate issues, and his "loyal support" for Prime Minister Enrico Letta will not be affected by the outcome of his trials. However, caution is needed for one very simple reason. Berlusconi may be playing the responsible statesman right now, but this is in part because none of the rulings against him are definitive, yet.

Remember Berlusconi is facing several different trials at the moment. One of them (the Mediaset trial, where he is accused of tax fraud) is drawing to a conclusion, with the final verdict from Italy's Supreme Court expected by the end of the year, or in early 2014 at the latest.

If the Supreme Court were to upheld the previous two rulings, Berlusconi would face a four-year prison sentence and a five-year public office ban - which would virtually mark the end of his political career. At that point, the consequences for the Italian government would really be unpredictable. A key member of Berlusconi's party, Senator Maurizio Gasparri, even suggested that, if the former Italian Prime Minister were issued with a definitive public office ban, all his MPs and Senators could resign en bloc.

Berlusconi will meet Prime Minister Letta this evening. In theory, the meeting should focus on this week's EU summit - but the ruling will almost inevitably be discussed as well. We will keep you posted about any interesting developments via Twitter @OpenEurope.