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  Candidates for the European Parliament: The Rich, the Odd and the Beautiful

Candidates for the European Parliament The Rich, the Odd and the Beautiful

By Hans-Jürgen Schlamp in Brussels

Part 2: 'Dedicate Myself to My Sheep'

Similar troubles have dogged another would-be parliamentarian, George "Gigi" Becali. The 50-year-old Romanian entrepreneur, politician and owner of the Steaua Bucuresti football club recently spent two weeks in pre-trial custody. His five bodyguards are said to have tracked down three thieves who had stolen Becali's luxury car. Once found, the thieves were allegedly stuffed in the trunk of a car, driven off and beaten for hours.

Becali doesn't hail from a royal family like Italy's di Savoia. Instead, he comes from a family of shepherds in the Carpathian Mountains and made his fortune in real estate. But, like the prince, Becali also feels he was born to rule. "I will be a firm and wise ruler," he announced when he unsuccessfully ran for president of Romania. Now -- with the help of extreme right-wing slogans -- he's fighting for a seat in the European Parliament. If he doesn't succeed in politics, Becali told a radio reporter, "maybe I'll dedicate myself to sheep again."

In comparison with Becali, even Slavi Binev falls short. The 43-year-old Bulgarian has owned discos and nightclubs. He and his business partners control companies involved in entertainment, construction and security. He employs 2,000 people and brings in millions. But, above all, Binev thrives on his reputation as an international Tae Kwon Do champion in the Balkans (1990) and Europe (1992). Binev's campaign slogan is "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." He was elected to the European Parliament in 2007 with the radical nationalist Ataka Party -- and he plans to stay.

Primus Inter Pares

Silvio Berlusconi is the only one who could possibly outshine the illustrious candidates emerging from Europe's wild east and high nobility. None of them can boast the wealth -- or courtroom experience -- of the 72-year-old Italian prime minister. And then there is his entertainment value, which is unsurpassed -- and perhaps unsurpassable. For example, he recently narrowly escaped being put on trial for corruption thanks to an amendment passed by the Italian parliament, which just so happens to be controlled by his party. In recent weeks, the Italian media has been revealing new details on a daily basis about Berlusconi's -- possibly long-standing -- acquaintance with a beautiful young woman from Naples who only just turned 18. Berlusconi's wife of almost 30 years has now announced her plans to divorce him, saying she can't remain with a man who "consorts with minors."

And, as if there weren't already enough going on in his personal life and the country he runs, now Berlusconi also wants to be elected to the European Parliament. He's been there once before, when you could still serve in both a national parliament and the European Parliament. But he didn't show up very often and served as more of a symbolic figure. This time around, it's more than likely that Berlusconi won't assume the seat that he will undoubtedly win. Instead, it's almost certain that he will resign his post after the election so as to make way for an alternate candidate to move up the list. It's all about the election, about assisting his chosen candidates, about lending them a voice through his unfathomable popularity in Italy. And it's also about helping out as many of them as possible -- including the lovely Barbara Matera -- to secure a seat in the European Parliament.

Meanwhile Matera, if you believe the newspapers, is hard at work taking a crash course in politics.

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