MILAN – Silvio Berlusconi has lodged an appeal against his disqualification from running for political office at a court in Milan in the hopes of reinvigorating his party, Forza Italia, which saw its share of the votes in Italy’s recent elections drop precipitously.

 The request was handed to the Supervision Court of Milan on March 12, four days after the expiry of a three-year moratorium period on appeals, but only revealed by Correire della Sera on Friday. The case is likely to be heard before July of this year, though the hearings will be behind closed doors.    

 The “Severino law” was passed through Italy’s parliament in 2012 and named after then Justice Minister, Paola Severino. Article 15 of the law prevents anyone with a conviction of more than two years from holding or running for political office for a period of six years.

 The 81-year-old leader and media tycoon was ousted from parliament in 2013 due to a conviction for four years, commuted to one year of community service, relating to tax-evasion at his company, Mediaset.

 He spent that community service assisting those with Alzheimers at a clinic in the Milan region.

 It is the latest in Berlusconi’s efforts to defeat the disqualification. Previously he has taken his case the European Court of Human Rights, with the case still pending.  

 Nonetheless, the timing is not accidental. Forza Italia slumped disastrously at the Italian elections on March 4. “Il Cavaliere” has argued since that his party was punished as a result of his inability to stand in the party’s lists.

 No doubt, Berlusconi has his eyes on the possibility of elections in the near-future, with negotiations for Italy’s next government in a state of torpor. Even were a government to be formed, there is no guarantee that it would last the full period of the legislature.

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