5 seconds ago 2009-07-23T16:26:27-07:00
ROME (AFP) – Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Wednesday that he was "not a saint" as he faced increasing pressure over a series of alleged sex scandals, ANSA news agency reported.
"I'm not a saint," the billionaire leader said at the inauguration of a highway construction project in northern Brescia.
"You understand that, and let's hope the people at La Repubblica understand that," he added, referring to the left-leaning daily that has carried a stream of reports on the prime minister's alleged peccadilloes since late April.
The series began with an unexplained relationship between the 72-year-old prime minister and an 18-year-old aspiring model who calls him "Daddy," sparking divorce proceedings from second wife Veronica Lario.
The scandal moved on to compromising photos taken at Berlusconi's luxury villa in Sardinia, published by the Spanish daily El Pais, before dwelling at length on the prime minister's alleged night with call girl Patrizia D'Addario, 42.
On Monday and Tuesday the weekly L'Espresso -- which owns La Repubblica -- posted audio clips on its website seemingly proving the liaison.
La Repubblica followed up Wednesday with excerpts from the pair's supposed breakfast the next morning.
D'Addario is at the centre of a corruption investigation into southern entrepreneur Gianpaolo Tarantini, who allegedly arranged the tryst.
She has said she records all her conversations with clients and has handed over recordings of those with Berlusconi to the corruption probe.
D'Addario has said she filmed Berlusconi's bedroom with her mobile phone as well as the bedside table with a framed photograph of Lario.
Berlusconi said later Wednesday that visitors to his homes were never asked to surrender their phones.
"We let people keep their mobile phones because, at least when I am there, no inelegant situations can arise," Berlusconi told a meeting of his People of Freedom party, "because I am a person of good taste, culture and elegance."
He added: "Not only starlets come to my home, but also heads of state and government."
Last month Berlusconi said would not change and claimed Italians wanted him as he was.
"I am like that and I will not change. People want me the way I am," he told a news conference. "They want me because I am good, generous, sincere, loyal and I carry out my promises."
Also Wednesday Berlusconi questioned the latest opinion survey published by La Repubblica that put his popularity at 49 percent.
It was the first time the figure has dipped below 50 percent since Berlusconi's election in April 2008.
The newspaper Il Giornale, owned by the Berlusconi family, published a poll Wednesday giving the prime minister between 68 and 69 percent of popular support.