Italian Senate votes to expel Berlusconi

The Italian Senate voted Wednesday to expel former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from parliament after his conviction for tax fraud. The vote was 192 to 113, with two abstentions.

Analysts had predicted his ouster, with both the center-left Democratic Party and anti-establishment Five-Star Movement promising to vote against the 77-year-old billionaire media tycoon.

The vote follows Berlusconi's conviction on charges related to a vast tax fraud conspiracy at his Mediaset television empire.



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Berlusconi was convicted of tax evasion last October, sentenced to four years in prison and barred from public office for two years. The prison time was later reduced to one year of community service.

The former PM had called on his supporters to protest in Rome ahead of the vote. He even asked senators to delay the ballot, claiming to have new evidence proving he did not commit tax fraud.

Berlusconi, who served on and off as prime minister between 1994 and 2011, has dominated the lively Italian political scene for the past two decades. Despite his expulsion from parliament, he is unlikely to disappear.

'He is not out of politics, he is out of government,' James Walston, chairman of the International Relations Department at the American University of Rome, told CNN. 'He will cease being Sen. Berlusconi.'

The former Prime Minister could face other headaches. The expulsion from parliament means losing a partial immunity senators hold from prosecution, and he could face charges in other cases. For years, he has also been entangled in fraud, corruption and sex scandals that have often reached the Italian courts.

At a news conference Tuesday, Berlusconi's lawyers dismissed as 'an absolutely unreal possibility' that he could face further criminal charges for other cases.

Berlusconi was convicted of tax fraud in October last year over deals involving Mediaset, and the verdict was upheld in August.

READ: Berlusconi: Italy's most colorful, controversial public figure

READ: Silvio Berlusconi sentence: Is this the end for 'Il Cavaliere'?

AMANPOUR EXPLAINS: Berlusconi turns Italy into a political Circus Maximus

Editors' Note: This article has been edited to remove plagiarized content after CNN discovered multiple instances of plagiarism by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, a former CNN news editor.

READ: Berlusconi: Italy's most colorful, controversial public figure READ: Berlusconi: Italy's most colorful, controversial public figure At a news conference Tuesday, Berlusconi's lawyers dismissed as 'an absolutely unreal possibility' that he could face further criminal charges for other cases. 'He is not out of politics, he is out of government,' James Walston, chairman of the International Relations Department at the American University of Rome, told CNN. 'He will cease being Sen. Berlusconi.' The former PM had called on his supporters to protest in Rome ahead of the vote. He even asked senators to delay the ballot, claiming to have new evidence proving he did not commit tax fraud. At a news conference Tuesday, Berlusconi's lawyers dismissed as 'an absolutely unreal possibility' that he could face further criminal charges for other cases. The former Prime Minister could face other headaches. The expulsion from parliament means losing a partial immunity senators hold from prosecution, and he could face charges in other cases. For years, he has also been entangled in fraud, corruption and sex scandals that have often reached the Italian courts. READ: Silvio Berlusconi sentence: Is this the end for 'Il Cavaliere'? The vote follows Berlusconi's conviction on charges related to a vast tax fraud conspiracy at his Mediaset television empire. READ: Berlusconi: Italy's most colorful, controversial public figure Berlusconi was convicted of tax evasion last October, sentenced to four years in prison and barred from public office for two years. The prison time was later reduced to one year of community service. At a news conference Tuesday, Berlusconi's lawyers dismissed as 'an absolutely unreal possibility' that he could face further criminal charges for other cases. Berlusconi, who served on and off as prime minister between 1994 and 2011, has dominated the lively Italian political scene for the past two decades. Despite his expulsion from parliament, he is unlikely to disappear. Berlusconi was convicted of tax fraud in October last year over deals involving Mediaset, and the verdict was upheld in August. Editors' Note: This article has been edited to remove plagiarized content after CNN discovered multiple instances of plagiarism by Marie-Louise Gumuchian, a former CNN news editor. Berlusconi was convicted of tax fraud in October last year over deals involving Mediaset, and the verdict was upheld in August. READ: Berlusconi: Italy's most colorful, controversial public figure READ: Silvio Berlusconi sentence: Is this the end for 'Il Cavaliere'? Analysts had predicted his ouster, with both the center-left Democratic Party and anti-establishment Five-Star Movement promising to vote against the 77-year-old billionaire media tycoon. The vote follows Berlusconi's conviction on charges related to a vast tax fraud conspiracy at his Mediaset television empire. READ: Silvio Berlusconi sentence: Is this the end for 'Il Cavaliere'? The Italian Senate voted Wednesday to expel former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from parliament after his conviction for tax fraud. The vote was 192 to 113, with two abstentions. AMANPOUR EXPLAINS: Berlusconi turns Italy into a political Circus Maximus

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