As I am Italian (who never voted Berlusconi), let me say that Berlusconi is not about the ladies and the fast cars, but a lot about a weak, very weak, alternati

As I am Italian (who never voted Berlusconi), let me say that Berlusconi is not about the ladies and the fast cars, but a lot about a weak, very weak, alternative (a very shitty left wing). Italy is a conservative, right wing, country and Berlusconi was the only leader in that area for 20 years. How this happened and why will take too long to explain. Yes, you have a point that Berlusconi is a sort of cultural difference. But to be sure of that, we shall put Danes in Italy for 10 years and see what they vote after that period. Yes, institutional memory is a cultural "feature", but for me "culture" is more the day to day of people, what do they laugh at? What are they aspirations? Dreams? What do they buy? Do they travel? Do they like sunny beaches (ie: Chinese don't like sunny beaches, here you have a cultural difference...)? Etc. In this, in EU we are very, very, similar.