In today's #vatniksoup, I'll introduce an Italian businessman, politician and ex-PM, Silvio Berlusconi. He's best-known for his media empire, for his pompous politics, for his trouble with the law, and especially for his long-time friendship with Vladimir Putin.
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Berlusconi has been Prime Minister for a total of nine years, which in Italian politics can be considered an eternity - no other PM has served longer since WW2. He's also the controlling shareholder of Italy's largest commercial broadcaster in the country, Mediaset.
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According to The Economist (or The Ecommunist, as Silvio calls it), controlled 90% of all national broadcasting in Italy while also being the PM.
Silvio has been at the center of many scandals throughout the years. In Aug, 2013, he was convicted of tax fraud and was...
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...sentenced to four years in prison, but was exempted due to his old age and served his sentence by doing community service. He was also banned from holding public office, but refused to leave his leadership position at his political party, Forza Italia.
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After he could take part in elections again, he was chosen as a MEP in 2019 and returned to the Italian Senate in 2022.
He's been involved in several court cases, of which at least six has been altered to "no conviction" because of news laws passed by his own parliament.
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These crimes include bribery, embezzlement, perjury, tax evasion and false accounting. In Jun 2013, he was convicted of paying a 17-year-old prostitute called Karima El Mahroug for sex. The prosecution claimed that Silvio had paid over 4,5 million euros for ...
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...El Mahroug's "services". Berlusconi appealed, and was acquitted from these charges later next year. In 2019 one of the main witnesses of the case, Imane Fadil, died mysteriously, and even death by radioactive poisoning was suggested (but ruled out later).
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He's also been connected to the Sicilian Mafia, and for example the Mafia boss Giuseppe Guttadauro was heard stating that "Berlusconi, to solve his problems, has to solve ours" in a wiretapped conversation. Several informers and turncoats have suggested that Silvio has...
8/19
...connections to the top echelons of the Italian Mafia, but Berlusconi's never been charged for any of this.
Berlusconi has a long history with Putin. The first scandal where the two were connected to each other was in 2007, when Italy's state-owned energy company...
9/19
...Eni made a deal with state-owned Gazprom to build natural gas pipeline, South Stream, from Russia to Europe. The biggest beneficiary in the deal turned out to be Berlusconi's friend, Bruno Mentasti-Granelli. The deal was eventually blocked by the Italian Parliament.
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After Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, Silvio accused the US and the EU for "a ridiculously and irresponsibly sanctioning approach to the Russian Federation, which cannot but defend Ukrainian citizens of Russian origin that it considers brothers". He visited Crimea in 2015.
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Berlusconi was also the first Western leader to visit Belarusian dictator and potato man Lukashenko in 2009. He clearly had no idea who Lukashenko was, as he concluded the trip by saying: "Good luck to you and your people, whom I know love you".
12/19
After Russia's full-scale invasion in Feb, 2022, Silvio condemned his old friend, saying that he was deeply disappointed by Putin's behavior. This didn't last long, and already in Sep, 2022, he defended Vladimir Putin, saying that he invaded Ukraine only because he...
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...wanted to replace the "Kyiv regime" with "decent people". In Oct, 2022, Italy's LaPresse news agency published a secretly taped recording where Berlusconi stated that he's recently "reconnected" with Putin. Putin had sent him 20 bottles of vodka, a clear violation...
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...of the ongoing sanctions, and a "really sweet letter" for 86th his birthday. He had also sent Putin some Italian sparkling wine, Lambrusco. In the same tape he also suggested that the "West was already at war with Russia" because it is "giving Ukraine weapons and money".
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He also blamed Ukraine for Russia's invasion, referring to the 2014 Minsk agreement and saying that "Ukraine throws this treaty to hell a year later and begins attacking the borders of the two republics [referring to puppets states of DPR and LPR]".
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On 12 Feb, 2023, Berlusconi blamed Zelenskyy for the war in Ukraine, saying that "All [Zelenskyy] had to do was to stop attacking the two autonomous republics of the Donbas and this would not have happened".
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He added that "I judge, very, very negatively the behavior of this gentleman", referring to Zelenskyy. He also criticized Meloni for going to dinner with Zelenskyy, saying that he wouldn't have done the same.
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It seems that at the moment the only person who's holding down the pro-Kremlin and pro-Putin bloc led by Matteo Salvini and Silvio Berlusconi is Giorgia Meloni, whose fiery speech on 23 Mar, 2023, is clear evidence that she still stands for Ukraine.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Russian propagandist Sergei Tsaulin. He’s best-known for spreading pro-Kremlin narratives in Estonia, fleeing to Russia after breaking several laws in Estonia, and almost getting blown up by a bomb in St. Petersburg.
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For years, Tsaulin was known for organizing marches and events glorifying the Soviet Union. Under the excuse of “remembering history,” these events were nothing more than Kremlin propaganda, wrapped in a red flag with a hammer and sickle.
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One of his most infamous events was the “Immortal Regiment” march, held every 9th of May, where people carried portraits of Soviet soldiers. These marches are used by Russia to push the idea that the Baltics owe their existence to the Soviets.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce a podcaster and conspiracy theorist, Joe Rogan (@joerogan). He’s best-known for launching the biggest podcast in the world, promoting various conspiracy theories, his support for Donald Trump and his anti-Ukraine rhetoric.
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Joe Rogan started as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s, found fame on NewsRadio, and became a household name with Fear Factor. But his biggest impact came in 2009 when he launched The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), one of the first major podcasts.
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JRE started as casual but deep conversations, often covering countercultural topics like psychedelics, MMA & hunting. Joe’s podcasting style is largely non-confrontational, often allowing his guests to share their views without significant pushback or critical questioning.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce KOOS party leader and Estonian crypto businessman Oleg Ivanov. He’s best known for running shady businesses, spreading Russian false narratives in Estonia, and participating in the pro-Kremlin political party KOOS.
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As a talented youngster, Oleg learned Estonian almost flawlessly, was a promising karate athlete, and landed a job at a law firm at just 20. He caught the eye of Estonian fuel entrepreneur Endel Siff, who quickly took him under his wing.
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Oleg’s father, Vladimir Ivanov, was a longtime politician from the Russian-funded United People’s Party of Estonia. His career at the town hall ended abruptly when he was caught drunk at work. After that, he went into business with his son, Oleg.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll talk about the takeover of social media by illiberal, populist influencers. For the last ten years, social media has been dominated by these voices and it is one of the main reasons for the political rise of people like Trump and Orban.
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“Illiberal populists” like Trump reject democratic norms while claiming to speak for “the people.” They centralize power, attack institutions, and push nationalism over rights. Elections exist, but checks & balances erode. This is democracy in name, autocracy in action.
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The media landscape has changed drastically over the past two decades. The Internet and social media have changed how we interact online & how we consume media,but it has also become our main source of news. In many ways,social media companies have control over information.
In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Lithuanian far-right politician and Seimas member Remigijus Žemaitaitis. He’s best known for his extremist political views and for falling for a scam that convinced him he was flying to New York to meet Elon Musk.
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Like many vatniks before him, Remigijus worked as a lawyer before entering the world of politics. Once just another politician, he gradually embraced far-right nationalism and populism, following a trend seen across Europe over the past 15 years.
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Instead of real policies, he tapped into fear, resentment, and anger, turning 4chan talking points into a populist political strategy. His speeches became more extreme, targeting minorities, Western institutions, and Lithuania’s support for Ukraine.