“…Berlusconi has though just raided the hen house, and most of the rest of Europe has not yet recognized that a few eggs have gone missing even as the globe focuses on Berlusconi’s preoccupation with chicks!” Maybe it is Berlusconi who gets the last laugh as the Eurozone crisis negotiations have inevitably become a poker game? The room for mistake and maneuver has gradually become tighter for most of the EU’s leaders. British Prime Minister David Cameron has characterized the Eurozone crisis as having a “chilling effect” on global economic activity. (See FILM REPORT - diplomaticallyincorrecttv.com/films/movie/chilling-effect-eurozone-crisis/28945 ). However, has Silvio Berlusconi parlayed the urgency and his apparent political impotency within Italy’s Parliament to effectively screw his Eurozone partners? A Rescue Package Still Perhaps Lacking Size & Shape? Wednesday (October 26, 2011) has been viewed as critical date to bring together a more complete plan for the Eurozone rescue package. I did not though expect that this deadline was real or would be met, as so many others have now passed. (READ - diplomaticallyincorrecttv.com/films/blog_post/ecb-extending-liquidity-to-european-banks-enough-money-flash-by-ambassador-mo/36012 ). The puzzle comes together piecemeal. Germany's Parliament just voted to increase amount of rescue package. The rescue package includes a promised bailout fund yet to be fully defined as to methodology but now assumed to have to be at least one trillion Euros. It also incorporates austerity from the vulnerable PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain). Greece and most others have been adopting and to various degrees implementing such painful austerity. All have been somewhat tardy and perhaps short of initial commitments/expectation. Italy’s Berlusconi Government has failed to live up to almost any promise made in last few months.(When Merkel/Sarkozy or "Merkozy" were asked last weekend at Brussels EU summit if they thought that Berlusconi/Italy would be able to deliver on its previous promises, it produced the above PHOTO laugh/smirk. Some Italians took it as an offense, but Berlusconi might have seen it as his clever as a fox gamesmanship moving forward). Political Zombie with Purpose? Berlusconi’s infamous political/personal conduct problems have left him with a very thin ruling margin. (READ – “Italy’s Berlusconi Claims Doing 8 of Them!” - diplomaticallyincorrecttv.com/films/blog_post/italian-prime-minister-berlusconi-claims-doing-8-of-them/35237 ). His coalition partners kept him alive as Prime Minister but refused to deliver even on a relatively modest commitment to raise retirement/pension age. Because of Berlusconi’s now notorious sexcapades, it is viewed as the Italian PM not being able to rise to the level of political performance. However, seen from another perspective, Berlusconi fails to deliver, avoids difficult and politically unpopular cuts for Italy and continues his hold on the Italian Prime Minister’s office. Don’t know how much of this was scripted, but it looks about as good as Berlusconi could have concluded. Of course Eurozone wants Berlusconi to once again deliver a plan and implementation schedule. The Eurozone cannot afford to let it appear that Italy and Berlusconi will avoid the pain that the other PIIGS and their leaders are already feeling. On the other hand, not so much because of even Italy but the EU banks and financial institutions that hold Italian debt, the relatively large size/impact of the Italian economy and its significance to the EU both in substance and image, Eurozone leaders cannot exclude Italy from any rescue. Keeping Italy on the periphery would also only add to the size of the eventual rescue package needed. However, whatever promises Berlusconi makes now it will be too late probably to keep him and his political allies to their word if EU leaders want to avoid a catastrophic unraveling of the current long and convoluted road to crisis deflection even if not resolution. Crazy as a Fox? The situation again exhibits that structural flaws in the Eurozone methodology/governance. Perhaps it also should have us seeing Berlusconi in a different bent. Silvio is more than a bit eccentric and nutty. Berlusconi has though just raided the hen house, and most of the rest of Europe has not yet recognized that a few eggs have gone missing even as the globe focuses on Berlusconi’s preoccupation with chicks! By Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey Facebook – Become a Fan at “Diplomatically Incorrect” Twitter – Follow us at DiplomaticallyX Related Reports at “International Financial Crisis Channel” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/c/international-financial-crisis