Berlusconi verluchtigt EU-top met een grol (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - At a European summit dominated by pessimism and gloom, Silvio Berlusconi is making a valiant effort to keep spirits up with his special brand of humour.

During the first - and so far only - press conference given by the Italian prime minister, he was in fine form, talking for over an hour and thanking just about everyone in Italy for the success of the Presidency.

His domestic political rival, Romano Prodi - the President of the European Commission, looked none too pleased as Mr Berlusconi hogged the time leaving him with almost nothing to say.

He looked even less pleased when Mr Berlusconi grabbed his arm in a jocular moment and linked it with his, claiming that they were best of friends. Mr Prodi held out his hands to protest but it was too late, the photographers already had their shot.

Addressing journalists, Mr Berlusconi said, "I love it when you guys poke fun at me".

Undiplomatic joke

The Italian prime minister continued to make friends and influence people over lunch yesterday when he told a joke about helicopters.

He said that he was flying over a group of protesters in a helicopter with his wife. He said, "I could throw out one 10,000 euro note and make one person happy. I could throw two 5,000 euro notes and make two people happy. Or I could throw 10,000 one euro coins and make 10,000 people happy".

The pilot of the helicopter quipped, "We could throw you out and make everyone happy".

This joke was considered especially untimely given that the Polish prime minister Leszek Miller arrived soon afterwards in a wheelchair after breaking his spine in a helicopter crash last week.

More farce

Further light relief was provided by two hapless but unlucky thieves in Brussels. The men stole a bag near the summit location, got into their getaway vehicle and ran straight into dozens of the assembled Belgian police, who are providing security at the summit.

Journalists quipped that they should have been better informed about European affairs.