Italians See Similarities Between Donald Trump and Silvio Berlusconi

Citizens of Italy and the U.S. have a few things in common besides their love of the many dishes made with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Both countries are bordered by bodies of water, with shorter sea routes linking countries to the south. Both have major immigration problems. The steady stream of migrants from Latin America into the U.S. has turned immigration into a potent campaign issue. And Italy is now grappling with a flood of refugees from Syria and North Africa. Natural obstacles have done little to deter desperate immigrants seeking a new life in a new land.

This year the two countries have something else in common. The U.S. presidential election, pitting Democrat Hillary Clinton against Republican Donald Trump, carries special resonance for Italian election-watchers. They report some surprising parallels between Trump and Italy's longest-serving postwar prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, who served a total of nine years before he was convicted in 2013 of tax fraud. Berlusconi was able to avoid prison by performing community service.

Like Trump, Berlusconi skillfully exploited the media in his election bid. Berlusconi also endured withering criticism for his cavalier treatment of women, including rumored flings with underage girls. He leaned more heavily on his popularity than the backing of his party to build his political base.

[ READ: Follow coverage of the race for the White House]

U.S. News has asked veteran AP television reporter Patricia Thomas to share her insights on the upcoming election via email. Thomas, an American who is fluent in Italian, lives in Rome with her husband, an Italian economist, and their three children. She has covered breaking news in Italy, including elections, Vatican events, natural disasters and European migration, since 1994. You can also read her blog, Mozzarella Mamma, a witty look at her life in Italy and the stories behind the day's big events.

How closely are Italians following the U.S. elections? How does the level of their interest this year compare with other election years?

Italians are following the presidential election extremely closely. There are articles every day in the newspapers; it is frequently a topic of discussion on television news programs. Italians have closely followed the three presidential debates and are fascinated by Donald Trump, the "Berlusconi Americano."

The only other presidential election that has received so much attention since I have been here (over the past 23 years) was in 2008. The campaign of Barack Obama captured the imagination of Italians who were fascinated by the charismatic, cool, black candidate who they believed could change the whole world for the better.

You've reported on some intriguing parallels between Trump and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. What are they?

There are some strong parallels and important differences between former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Donald Trump.

First the similarities: They are both billionaires, successful businessmen who are narcissistic. Both men are very effective at using television to pursue their personal goals. Berlusconi created a TV empire then used it to promote his political ambitions. Trump learned how to connect to the public through his reality TV show, "The Apprentice."

Berlusconi broke a long tradition of politicians using an archaic, intellectual language that few people could understand. He spoke simply and directly to the public using the same language they might hear at the coffee bar or on the bus.

Here are a couple famous lines from Berlusconi: "Out of love for Italy, I felt I had to save it from the left."
"I am not a saint, you've all understood that."
"It's better to like beautiful girls than to be gay."
"Another reason to invest in Italy is that we have beautiful secretaries ... superb girls."

Similarly, Donald Trump speaks in simple language using phrases that are easy to understand. "I want to build a wall."
"I will make them pay for it.
"She is a nasty woman."
"We have some bad hombres and we are going to get them out."

Berlusconi sold himself as a self-made man outside of the Italian political establishment with no need to enrich himself. He claimed he was getting into politics to save the country from the left. Likewise, Donald Trump has trumpeted his financial success and independence and has based his campaign on his anti-establishment credentials.

Both Berlusconi and Trump pride themselves on their sexual prowess and they surround themselves with beautiful, young women whom they use with impunity. There is an important difference, though. The women Berlusconi uses are mostly "consenting"; prostitutes or women to whom he has promised favors. Trump (allegedly) gropes, handles, insults and objectifies women. The result is that Trump is hated by women for his insulting, demeaning attitude, while Berlusconi is disliked for his decadent style and immoral treatment of women.

[ READ: Learn which countries are seen as the best for women]

Obsession with physical appearance: Both Trump and Berlusconi have an odd obsession with their physical appearance. I have covered Berlusconi and seen him up close. He has had eye tucks, face-lifts, hair transplants, is permanently tanned and wears lots of pancake makeup. Trump is also an odd orangey color and his hair is an unusual work of art.

Both men pride themselves on their political incorrectness. Long before Trump began his campaign season string of insults, I had witnessed Berlusconi at a public event at Palazzo Chigi (the Prime Minister's office) imitating how a handicapped person would walk, I had heard him making fun of the newly elected President Obama as "sun-tanned."

Berlusconi's "bromance" with Russian President Vladimir Putin goes back over 10 years. The two men shared a passion for women and power. In one wire-tapped conversation that emerged between Berlusconi and one of his young prostitutes, she asks him about which bed they are going to do it in. "Which bed? Putin's?" Patrizia D'Addario asked. "Oh, how cute, the one with the curtains."

Donald Trump says he has never met Putin, but seems to admire his brash, authoritarian, macho style. Trump never misses a chance to sing the praises of the Russian leader.

The similarities between Trump and Berlusconi are striking, but there are also some important differences. Trump is more aggressive. He is a fighter who likes to win and holds no punches. Berlusconi also likes to win but his style is that of a suave salesman using gifts, flattery and jokes to win people over.

Berlusconi served as prime minister for many years and dominated the Italian political scene for a total of 18 years. During that time I would say he acquired some of the Machiavellian skills required to keep your head above water in the Italian political system, learning how to make compromises and work with politicians from opposing parties. Although Berlusconi did try to ride roughshod over the Italian legal system, he eventually faced legal consequences for his actions.

Given all his negatives, what was the source of Berlusconi's appeal?

Berlusconi's appeal was he was rich, he was not part of the Italian political establishment and he kept things simple. He emerged on the political scene in 1993 as Italy was coming out of the massive "clean hands" corruption scandal which exposed massive political corruption in Italy's dominant parties. He claimed he didn't need money he was just getting into politics to keep out the left.

[ READ: The 10 most corrupt countries, ranked by perception]

I interviewed a fisherman on the shore of the Bay of Naples a few days before one election. He said he was going to vote for Berlusconi because "I want him to make me and Italy rich, just like him."

Years later when stories emerged of sleazy "bunga bunga" parties during which young women were paid to dress up as nurses and nuns and do lap dances for the prime minister and a few of his cronies, I went out on the street near the Vatican and asked people what they thought of the latest revelations. Many people, both men and women, responded with comments along the lines of: "Why not? He is rich, he is powerful, if he can get all those women, good for him. Let him enjoy himself. It is his private business."

Do Italians harbor any hidden satisfaction that the U.S. now has a political leader who flaunts some of the same excesses as Berlusconi?

Yes, I suppose the Italians are somewhat satisfied seeing the U.S. facing its own Berlusconi-esque figure, but they are not as perplexed by his success as Americans are. In general, Italians are cynical and disenchanted when it comes to politics. They feel like they have seen it all and nothing can surprise them. Americans tend to have great faith in their political system and can get passionate about a candidacy with a motto "Yes, We Can" or "Make America Great Again." Italians can't be bothered. Perhaps the most effective campaign slogan in Italy in recent years has been that of the comic-turned political leader Beppe Grillo, who turned the expression "Vaffanculo" (f*** off) into a political motto directed at Italy's political establishment.

Berlusconi was dogged throughout his career by allegations of womanizing, yet it never seemed to hurt him politically. We don't know yet how this will play out with Trump. Did these allegations ever catch up with Berlusconi?

In general Italians, and many Europeans, have a very different view from Americans about their leaders' womanizing and extramarital affairs. A book recently published in France, with President Francois Mitterrand's love letters to his long-time lover, is an indication of a similar attitude. When President Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky emerged, Italians found it incomprehensible that the president would not have chosen a more glamorous and sophisticated lover, and they couldn't figure out why Americans were so bothered about it in the first place. "You Americans are all so Puritan!" was the constant refrain I heard in that period.

Berlusconi took his philandering too far, but if he had been more restrained, no one would have cared and it would not have hurt him politically. In 2013 Berlusconi was sentenced to seven years for having sex with an underage prostitute and using his power to cover it up. That sentence was overturned in 2014.

He was eventually convicted in another case of tax fraud and served a one-year sentence doing community service in a senior citizen's center.

How do Italians feel about the prospect of a Trump victory? Clinton?

Italians are not ecstatic about Hillary Clinton, but they clearly want her to win. They see her as a continuation of the Obama era, something that is viewed positively in Italy and it seems they hope would go on forever. Italians were very much in favor of Obama's economic policies that promoted economic growth through investment rather than the austerity pushed by the government of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Italians were strongly against the war in Iraq and appreciated the Obama administration's decision to pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan and not get involved in Syria.

Italians are big believers in the European Union (despite the growing anti-Europe Five Star Movement Party) and big believers in NATO. They are convinced that under a Hillary Clinton presidency these institutions would have the full support of the U.S. government.

[ READ: Can the British Parliament stop Brexit?]

Given Trump's comments on NATO and repeated support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, many Italians have told me they see Trump as a danger for the whole world. They believe he would start wars and desert allies.

What do Italians think of Hillary Clinton? Do they have issues with her as a woman leader?

Italians are not wildly enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton. Like many Americans they see her as too linked to the political establishment and find her uninspiring. I do not think Italians have issues with her as a woman leader.

Some voters in the U.S. say they won't vote because they don't like either candidate. What do Italians do during elections? What's voter turn-out like?

Italians like to vote. Although abstentions have been on the rise in Italy in the past few years, generally Italian voter turnout is much higher than in the United States. Part of the reason for this is that in postwar Italy the country was divided between the dominant Christian Democratic party (to which most of the Italian Catholics belonged) and the Communist Party (the biggest communist party in Western Europe). Each group felt an urgent need to go to the polls to contrast the other. Now that those parties have disintegrated and Italians don't feel a strong ideological attachment to a party, voter turnout is dropping.

Steve Sternberg is a senior writer for U.S. News and a data journalist covering health care performance, health policy, clinical medicine and public health. You can follow him on Twitter (@stevensternberg), connect with him on LinkedIn or email him at ssternberg@usnews.com.