Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi courted yet more controversy Tuesday after stating, “It’s better to be passionate about beautiful girls than gay.”
TG24 reported the 74-year-old premier made the comment while at a motorcycle show in Milan, amid the mounting scandal over his alleged links to a 17-year-old erotic dancer.
He was already facing fresh calls to resign after reportedly inviting Karima Keyek — also known as Ruby — to three parties at his lavish villa near Milan earlier this year and showering her with presents of cash, jewelry and an Audi sports car.
She told reporters they were called “bunga-bunga” parties — an apparent reference to a lewd joke that is taken to refer to some form of sexual activity. The dancer denied having sex with the prime minister and said that she lied to him about her age.
But the relationship prompted further scrutiny after it emerged that Berlusconi arranged for Keyek’s release from custody earlier this year, after she was arrested for stealing €3,000. He incorrectly claimed the Moroccan teenager was related to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
Berlusconi was lambasted by the Catholic weekly Famiglia Cristiana for lacking “self-control” in relation to the story, as the leader’s approval rating was also hit by corruption investigations.
Italian gay group Arcigay insisted Berlusconi should apologize. The group’s leader Aurelio Mancuso said, “Berlusconi should be ashamed of that remark, which highlights his difficulty over the Ruby affair. It is an indescribable comment and I hope gay people on the right and the left rise up and condemn [him].”