Guilty

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been convicted of abuse of office and having sex with an underage prostitute. The sentence? Seven years imprisonment and a ban from public office. Sadly, I don't expect him to serve either. "Reforms" to Italy's justice system (made specifically to protect Berlusconi's friends) reduced the time-limit for cases, so all he has to do is drag it out through appeals, and the case will simply expire.

The question now is whether he will demand that Italy's coalition government pass new laws to protect him, and if so, whether they will agree. He can send the country back to the polls if he doesn't get his way, so he has a lot of leverage. But if that happens, then the credibility of Italy's democracy will take an even bigger dive.