December 14, - Survives parliamentary confidence vote in the lower house by three votes. The win sparks a demonstration in Rome where nearly are injured. January 14, - Magistrates in Milan reveal they are investigating whether Berlusconi paid for sex with an underage girl and then abused his power by trying to cover it up. February 15, - An Italian judge rules that Berlusconi will be tried on charges of sex with an underage girl and abuse of power.
February 28, - Tax fraud trial from resumes. April 6, - The trial for having sex with an underage girl begins. November 8, - Berlusconi says he will resign when the country's budget is confirmed by parliament. November 12, - Berlusconi resigns after the Italian legislature votes in favor of an austerity budget.
October 26, - Is convicted of tax fraud, sentenced to four years in prison and barred from public office for five years. Berlusconi files an appeal and in , his sentence is reduced to one year of community service at a nursing home.
June 24, - Berlusconi is found guilty of having sex with an underage prostitute and abuse of power and is sentenced to seven years in prison. An appeals court overturns the conviction in July October - Berlusconi is preliminarily indicted on allegations he bribed a senator to support his party in November 27, - The Italian Senate expels Berlusconi from Parliament with a vote of to two senators abstained.
July 8, - Berlusconi is convicted of bribing a senator to change political factions. A controversial law is passed granting the prime minister, president and two parliamentary speakers immunity from prosecution while in office - triggering the suspension of two court cases against Mr Berlusconi.
Narrowly loses general election, coming second to his old rival Romano Prodi. The government coalition collapses after suffering a crushing defeat in regional polls; Mr Berlusconi resigns. Days later, he forms a new government after receiving a presidential mandate. After a four-year trial Prime Minister Berlusconi is cleared of corruption. Mr Berlusconi returns as prime minister, in coalition once more with his former partners. He remains in the post for the next five years, the head of what becomes the longest-serving Italian government since World War II.
Despite his renewed popularity, allegations of wrongdoing continue to dog him. He is accused of embezzlement, tax fraud and false accounting, and attempting to bribe a judge. A number of cases come to trial. In some cases he is acquitted. In others, he is convicted, but the verdict is overturned on appeal. In others still, the statute of limitations expires before the case reaches its conclusion. Mr Berlusconi's government passed reforms shortening the statute of limitations for fraud.
There is controversy in as parliament approves a bill enabling Mr Berlusconi to keep control of his businesses. Mr Berlusconi asserts that he is the victim of a conspiracy by a politically motivated judiciary. He loses an election to the left-wing Romano Prodi. But, as ever, Mr Berlusconi refuses to be deterred and spends the next few years reorganising his party.
They longed for a break with the corruption and instability which had marred Italian politics for a decade. But rivalries between the three coalition leaders, coupled with Berlusconi's indictment for alleged tax fraud by a Milan court, confounded those hopes and led to the collapse of the government seven months later. As tensions mounted over his tax fraud conviction, the party split and Berlusconi relaunched it under the old name, Forza Italia.
He was away from the political centre stage for about four years after he was expelled from parliament. In , Forza Italia was left out of the coalition with the right-wing Northern League despite a solid election performance — and Berlusconi could not have held public office himself in any event, due to his criminal record. But that ban was overturned the same year , when he was deemed "rehabilitated" by the courts - and he announced he would contest the May European elections.
Much of Berlusconi's political career has been plagued by a litany of legal battles. A native of Milan, he has frequently complained of being victimised by its legal authorities.
He denied embezzlement, tax fraud and false accounting, and attempting to bribe a judge. On numerous occasions he was acquitted, had convictions overturned or watched them expire under a statute of limitations.
But he received a setback when in the Constitutional Court struck down part of a law granting him and other senior ministers temporary immunity. By the end of the year he was out of power, and in October he was given four years for tax fraud and barred from public office. Berlusconi declared his innocence and spoke of a "judicial coup". Because he was over 75, he was handed community service, working four hours a week with elderly dementia patients at a Catholic care home near Milan.
Berlusconi's struggles in the political arena and the courtroom have been accompanied by a string of lascivious reports about his private life. He met second wife Veronica Lario after she performed topless in a play. A judge orders Berlusconi to stand trial on charges of paying for sex with underage alleged prostitute Karima "Ruby" El Mahroug, a charge they both deny.
He is also accused of abuse of office after it emerges he intervened in to have her released from a police station where she was being held for theft. Four days after losing his parliamentary majority Berlusconi steps down as prime minister. Berlusconi, angered by a court's jail sentence for tax evasion, a decision he believes is politically motivated, threatens a snap election to bring down the prime minister, Mario Monti, and throw the world of Italian politics into a panic.
Italy heads to the polls. Centre-left Enrico Letta forms a government which includes a close ally of Berlusconi's, Angelino Alfano. Berlusconi is sentenced to seven years for abuse of office and paying a minor for sex.
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