Fedele Confalonieri

thumb|Fedele Confalonieri in 2008 Fedele Confalonieri (born 6 August 1937) is an Italian manager and president of Mediaset. and since 2017, he has served as president of the Venerable Factory of the Duomo of Milan. Quotes The truth is, if [Silvio Berlusconi] hadn't gone into politics, if he hadn't founded Forza Italia, today we would be under a bridge or in prison on mafia charges. There was no way we were going to win an acquittal in the Mondadori case. From an interview by Curzio Maltese, Sinistra, giudici, Rai ora basta con le guerre, la Repubblica, 25 June 2000, p. 11. (Referring to Silvio Berlusconi) The images of Piazza San Babila packed with people surrounding him, and him stepping onto the running board of his car to wave, remind me of Lenin's arrival in Russia on the sealed train. Quoted in Francesco Verderami, "Silvio come Lenin, genio e fisicità", Corriere della sera, 20 November 2007. The iPod: a little box that's a shortcut to mental laziness. Corriere della sera, 9 September 2008. Music notes are discipline; they shape character and taste. It's a mistake to neglect music; it's an excellent teacher.  Corriere della sera, 9 September 2008. [Referring to Berlusconi] The "ad personam" laws? He makes them to protect himself. If you don't pass "ad personam" laws, you 'll go to prison. Corriere della sera, 9 September 2008. Interviews Confalonieri: punire la corruzione I ministri facciano il mutuo, Corriere della Sera, 14 May 2010 When someone you’ve known for sixty years can still surprise you, they must be quite extraordinary. I met Silvio as a child at the oratory and became his friend at secondary school, but even now, he still manages to surprise me. His ability to withstand pressure is almost superhuman. (About Silvio Berlusconi) [...] When he needs to charm someone, he has a magnetism that reminds me of Xenophon in the Anabasis, or of the leaders described by Thucydides. After all, natural leaders have always been very physical. Like Mussolini. De Gaulle. Or Fidel Castro, who could speak for eight hours straight. Berlusconi has always been seen as an outsider by the magistrates—albeit not all of them—and by the left-wing press. I'm not saying it's a conspiracy; it's a coincidence of strategies. Once upon a time, men who entered politics were driven by great ideals: the Catholic committed to solidarity, the Communist who wanted to change the world, the Liberal who worshipped freedom. Those values no longer exist. Berlusconi’s revolution gave the agnostics of politics an opportunity: men who had always been on the margins, exasperated by political jargon and obscure formulas, fed up with austerity and bad communism, and naturally on the right – not least because the left viewed them as simpletons, ignorant and stupid, when in reality they were disengaged, a bit selfish, and perhaps even a bit mean. Some of them want an SUV and a designer watch, which isn’t a bad thing: ‘Enrichissez-vous!’ Ministers don't earn much, but they have a status and a sense of fulfilment that should be enough; they should be content with that. Look, I used to go to see Nordhal's Milan with Silvio and his father: tram to Piazzale Lotto, then on foot to San Siro. I followed AC Milan in Serie B, and I saw Cavese conquer our temple. And you want me to support Inter? Supporting a team also means cursing it. That said, I do admit that Moratti’s latest transfer window was excellent, and that Mourinho is obnoxious but brilliant. Su Silvio Berlusconi al Quirinale Berlusconi is cut out for operational roles. And the Quirinal has never been the domain of leaders, but rather of figures of compromise. Berlusconi could be a president like Sarkozy; however, our Constitution assigns the president a different role, however important it may be. I hated Scalfaro, I didn't like [[w:Carlo Azeglio Ciampi|Ciampi]; now Napolitano is doing a good job. Fini and Berlusconi have a duty to get along. They don’t have to like each other; after all, Forlani and De Mita didn’t like each other either; but neither of them ever called into question the unity of the party. I still like my city. Milan never goes into crisis, because in Milan, you’ve got everything: fashion, publishing, finance... The so-called intellectuals go abroad, come back and pronounce: Milan is not New York; it is not Paris. What a revelation! Italy isn’t the America either. Confalonieri a Montezemolo: «Te lo dico da amico: sta a cà tua...», Corriere della Sera, 29 August 2011 I'd give Luca di Montezemolo some friendly advice, and I'd say it to him in Milanese: 'sta a cà tua' – stay at home, stay out of politics. (About Silvio Berlusconi) In his mind, the plan is to see this parliamentary term through to the end, and then let others deal with it. I really think he's decided to do that – to make room for others. (About Umberto Bossi) He's a great politician; I admire him, for better or for worse. There are those who pinch women's bottoms, and those who swear. People can make mistakes, but sometimes swearing represents realism, truth and authenticity. People often hide behind polished language and convoluted reasoning in order to say nothing, or to say something that remains unclear. (About Marina Berlusconi entering politics) It will never happen; she doesn't even remotely consider it. External links Confalonieri, Fedele Category:1937 births Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from Italy