BOLZANO- Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has visited a ‘beauty farm’ in preparation for another electoral campaign, images posted on Instagram have revealed.

He can be seen arm in arm with the wife of Dr Henry Chenot, owner of the spa in Merano and one of the leaders in the field of ‘detox therapy.’ Berlusconi seems to be without any hair and to be considerably thinner in the photo posted on Instagraph by Caroline Chenot. In another, he can be seen shaking hands with Dr Chenot himself.

The Leader of Forza Italia arrived on Friday to spend a week at the Hotel Palace to spend a period of relaxation and to learn more about health and wellbeing, a trip which has seemed to change his image drastically, with some press calling out his new appearence as seemingly unhealthy. 

The 80-year-old describes himself as “a boy who is getting on in years with a heart that is forever young” and is renowned for taking care in his appearance, which has accumulated in hair transplants and plastic surgery over the years. A self-transformation of the former President often preludes an imminent return to politics, in which, like in his appearance, he has never shied away from changes and transformation.  

In September 2013, the former Prime Minister, who has held office for the third longest time since Italian unification, refounded his former party Forza Italia and will be running as centre-right candidate for the position in the upcoming election, even though he is technically banned from public offices until 2019 as part of a tax-fraud conviction.

Despite his criminal charges and sex scandals, the heavy-weight politician is leading voter polls and could be set to form a new government in elections that could take place in early 2018, analysts have said. An Ipsos poll conducted for Il Corriere della Sera showed that Berlusconi was leading polls and that a centre-right coalition between Forza Italia and right-wing Lega Nord and Fratelli d’Italia could dominate up to 35 percent of the votes.

Centre-left Democratic Party, however, lagged behind with 26.9 percent and anti-establishment Five Star Movement with 27.6 percent. 

zt