Mr. Berlusconi and unintended consequences

When Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (soon to be former Prime Minister) brought in the Fascist-tainted legislation that allowed foreigners to vote in Italian elections if they descended from a continuous line of male forebears going back to a man born in Italy, he apparently expected this would benefit his conservative coalition. A reasonable expectation, as defining citizenship by race rather than residency has a certain right-wing appeal. The plan, unfortunately for the histrionic Mr. Berlusconi, backfired.

In the recent election, foreign voters, some of whom have never set foot in Italy and can't even speak Italian, voted in favour of Mr. Berlusconi's opponents, the left-wing coalition of Romano Prodi. Their vote tipped the scales just enough to elect Mr. Prodi and his coalition. Perhaps if the billionaire Mr. Berlusconi dominated the ownership of private television in North America as he does in Italy, the result would have been different, but he doesn't and it wasn't, and he's now out a job as he so richly deserves to be. He will now have more time to spend in court, battling the endless corruption charges he faces.