Milan, Dec 14 (Inditop.com/AKI) Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was savagely attacked Sunday at the end of a political rally in the centre of the city. He suffered two damaged teeth, a broken nose, cuts to his lips and other facial injuries.
The prime minister’s spokesman and undersecretary to the Cabinet, Paolo Bonaiuti, said the prime minister had a bad headache throughout the night but had asked to read the newspapers as soon as he woke up Monday.
Berlusconi was struck in the face by a man holding a small replica of Milan’s landmark cathedral.
Witnesses said Berlusconi was attacked after a political rally in the centre of Milan, as he was signing autographs in the square in front of the cathedral, the Duomo.
The 73-year-old had just finished giving a speech to rally support for his ruling coalition amid continuing speculation about a pending election. During the speech he launched a fresh attack on the Italian left and the country’s magistrates.
Berlusconi fell to the ground after he was struck and his security guards immediately took him to nearby San Raffaele hospital for treatment. Doctors expect him to take 20 days to fully recover.
The man accused of attacking the prime minister was immediately arrested.
Police said Massimo Tartaglia, 42, had no criminal record and was not among the small group of protesters at the rally, but they said that he has been treated for mental health issues at Milan’s Policlinico Hospital for the past ten years.
The vicious attack was a dramatic end to the rally which was seen as an important bid by Berlusconi to address the party faithful and restore his declining popularity which has suffered from allegations of corruption, mafia links and sexual conquests.
Berlusconi had just finished giving a speech to members of his People of Freedom ruling coalition at about 6.30 p.m. in the front of the cathedral when the attack occurred.
He began greeting his supporters, shaking hands and signing autographs when a man emerged and struck him in the face.
“A supporter asked Berlusconi if he could photograph him, then he pulled out his wallet to give him his business card,” said Doriano Riparbelli, a local party organiser.
“Berlusconi moved to shake the hands of other supporters and it was at that point they he struck him with a statuette.”
Late Sunday Italian President Giorgio Napolitano joined leaders from across the political spectrum in condemning the attack.
“I express my strongest condemnation for this serious and rash act of aggression towards the president of the cabinet (prime minister) who has my personal support,” he said.
“What happened to Berlusconi was an act of terrorism,” said Umberto Bossi, head of the anti-immigrant Northern League and Berlusconi ally, immediately after the attack.
Only a week ago tens of thousands of Italians marched through the streets of Rome to protest against Berlusconi and demand his resignation.
The demonstrators expressed outrage over the prime minister’s alleged conflicts of interest, corruption and his bid to seek immunity from prosecution in legal cases involving his media and real estate empire.
