"The Prime Minister rules over this reality-show republic by virtue of his political persistence and surprising popularity (this is his third term); with his control of the airwaves (he owns the three main private TV channels); and perhaps most intriguingly, with his ability to transform his personal whims into a disturbingly entertaining public discourse in a democracy of 58 million people. But his critics — and they do manage to get airtime in Berlusconistan — believe that the 72-year old master manipulator may have triggered a news cycle that could actually lead to his political demise".