ROME — Italian voters will see Silvio Berlusconi’s name on the ballot of upcoming general elections — even though the former prime minister was disqualified from the race.
Berlusconi’s public office ban, linked to a tax fraud conviction and valid until 2019, legally prevents him from running this year.
Berlusconi introduced an election logo with a “Berlusconi Presidente” inscription for his Forza Italia (Go Italy) party in a Sunday post on Facebook.
Italy’s prime ministers are often called “president” because their formal title is “president of the Council of Ministers.” Berlusconi held the position in 1994, 2001-2006, and 2008-2011.
Berlusconi heads a conservative bloc that includes two anti-migrant and euroskeptic parties: the Northern League and Brothers of Italy. The bloc is leading in opinion polls, with about 35 per cent of votes.
On Sunday, he met with League and Brothers of Italy leaders Matteo Salvini and Giorgia Meloni in which it was decided to enlarge the coalition, a statement said.
The newly-formed centrist Us With Italy party was admitted into the alliance. In addition, Salvini got backing for his proposal to scrap an unpopular 2011 pension reform that raised retirement ages.