Berlusconi to make new legal bid to run in European polls

MPs to present initiative to European Human Rights Court on Wed

(ANSA) - Strasbourg, April 8 - Ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi is to make another bid at the European Court of Human Rights to overturn his ban from running in upcoming European parliamentary elections, representatives of his revived centre-right Forza Italia party said Tuesday.

They provided no details other than saying it was not another formal appeal. "It is not another appeal," said Deborah Bergamini, dodging questions on the initiative that will be presented to the court on Wednesday. The media magnate became ineligible to stand for election or to vote in the May 25 poll after being ejected from the Italian Senate following a binding conviction for tax fraud at his media empire last year. Berlusconi is already appealing to the Strasbourg court against a six-year ban from office incurred under the 2012 anti-corruption law that saw him ousted as a result of the same conviction last autumn.

Berlusconi has vainly claimed the law was being applied retroactively, and therefore against the Italian Constitution.