Sir Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi had a famous affair while they were at the head of their countries. his 'stupidity' after the Italian leader said he 'tickled' Britain after the 9/11 attacks, newly released documents show.
The former prime minister was ordered to fight back against his controversial colleague when they met at the Anglo-Italian summit in February 2002.
Advisors were concerned that they were being accused of 'snubbing' Berlusconi , hosting the summit, but said it was worth “pinching your nose” to exploit his government's support for Britain's interests.
The messages were contained among the thousands of Downing Street memos and diplomatic cables released by the National Archives. from the fifth year of Blair's reign.
Sir Toni and Berlusconi had a long “romance” throughout their premiership, during which Sir Toni stayed at Berlusconi's private villa in Sardinia.
Berlusconi once said in front of his office: “Tony, I love you so much that if you were a woman, I would propose to you.” anned” and saying that Benito Mussolini was “soft”. Diplomats were constantly nervous about meeting with him.
Silvio Berlusconi's oversight
On February 6, 2002, the British Embassy in Rome sent an unsigned memorandum to Downing Street about the speech of Berlusconi, who had died earlier that year.
In the Common Foreign and Security Policy section, the Embassy noted strong criticism of EU actions since 9/11 and that EU member states should act as a unit, not independently.
It said: “Berlusconi claimed to tick off his interlocutors in the UK, telling them that 'this should never happen again.'
The passage was highlighted in highlighter, and at the top of the page, an aide added a handwritten note that said, “The Prime Minister is another Berlusconi stupidity (you can n–ing him Friday – UL/Italy summit).”
Another aide wrote: one of the few leaders who expressed sympathy for him. And just before the bilateral summit.”
On the same day, David Whineray, the EU government press officer, sent a memorandum to diplomats warning that it would be a “difficult summit” due to Berlusconi's comments about the “superiority” of Western civilization, new allegations of corruption, and giving a job to a former fascist, among other things. He recommended downplaying the summit, to which no lobbying journalists were invited.
Sir Tony once stayed at Villa Berlusconi in 2004. Photo: AP
In January 2002, British Ambassador Sir John Shepard told Kim Darroch, then Director of the EU Foreign Office, in a letter that the departure of Renato Ruggiero, Berlusconi's foreign secretary and former head of the World Trade Organization, presented Britain with an opportunity.
Sir John said that “we can exploit the situation” because “the more Berlusconi is criticized by others in Europe, the more he will want to be seen by influential friends and allies, like the prime minister.”
He said that Berlusconi is “not mortally weakened” but: “Even if he ultimately fails for whatever reason, we finally have a real opportunity in the short term to use and shape his government's orientation in Europe in support of UK interests, while plugging our noses and remaining vigilant to risks.” like us.”
In an accompanying memo to the memo, Sir Tony seems to have scribbled a line that reads: “He plays an important role in the alliance against federalism [in the EU].”
During their meeting in Rome, Sir Tony and Berlusconi issued a joint statement defending economic liberalization in the European Union.
Sir Tony was not the only one to take advantage of the situation, as Behr Lusconi used the popularity of the British prime minister with his opponent. s on the left to help legitimize his policies of Euroscepticism.
In 2003, when US-led forces invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein, Italy was part of the so-called “coalition of volunteers” that supported the invasion.
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