Italian poll shows Berlusconi worst politician ever

Italy’s former leader Silvio Berlusconi is considered the country’s worst politician in recent history, according to a poll published Monday, as he hints of a return to politics. Over 50 percent of those surveyed said the former prime minister had had a negative impact on Italy, while fewer than 10 percent said the same about each of the five other Italian politicians in the poll. “No one has ever done worse than Berlusconi,” Demos & Pi research institute said in the poll write-up. The survey casts a shadow across recent rumors that Berlusconi is considering a comeback with a candidacy for 2013 election, after he told the German daily Bild Monday that he would “never leave his party in the lurch.” The 1,300 people surveyed between June 5 and 8 were given six Italian politicians to rate regarding their impact on the country. Fifty-four percent said Berlusconi had had a negative effect, a far cry from the nine percent who said the same about government head Mario Monti. Only 13 percent said Berlusconi had had a positive impact. Some 55 percent of those surveyed felt Berlusconi’s fall in November 2011 had a positive impact on Italy, while 64 percent said his entry into politics had a negative impact.