The Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has included former showgirls, a Miss Italy contender and a Big Brother celebrity in his choice of candidates for the European Parliament elections.
His weakness for glamorous starlets, which has landed him in trouble in the past with his wife, herself a former actress, now looks set to be exported to the grey world of MEPs in Brussels and Strasbourg.
Potential candidates were invited to the Rome headquarters of Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom party for a briefing on the European elections, which are in June.
Potential candidates were invited to the Rome headquarters of Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom party for a briefing on the European elections, which are in June.
"I want young faces, new faces, to give People of Freedom a fresh image in Europe," said Mr Berlusconi, well known for his flirtatiousness and risque remarks.
Among the aspiring politicians hoping to be one of Italy's 72 MEPs is the Big Brother contestant Angela Sozio.
The flame-haired Miss Sozio is well known to the Italian public not just through her appearance on the reality television show, which in Italy is called Grande Fratello.
In 2007 she was photographed by paparazzi holding hands with Mr Berlusconi and carousing with the billionaire businessmen along with four other young women at his luxury Sardinian villa.
"Berlusconi's harem" was the front page headline on the weekly magazine Oggi.
None of the four candidates has any political experience. Eleonora Giaggioli is an actress, while Camilla Ferranti is a former presenter on a daytime chat show who has appeared in lingerie calendars.
Her talents were spotted by Mr Berlusconi, who put her name forward for a role in a soap opera produced by one of the television channels he owns.
Another potential candidate, Barbara Matera, was a hostess on a football show and a former contender for Miss Italy.
"For me it's a fantastic opportunity for personal and political growth," she said .
Mr Berlusconi's centre-Right government, elected last year, has several young female ministers, the most famous of whom is Mara Carfagna, 34, his equal opportunities minister who is an ex-model who made a career out of appearing in steamy photo shoots for men's magazines.
Among the aspiring politicians hoping to be one of Italy's 72 MEPs is the Big Brother contestant Angela Sozio.
The flame-haired Miss Sozio is well known to the Italian public not just through her appearance on the reality television show, which in Italy is called Grande Fratello.
In 2007 she was photographed by paparazzi holding hands with Mr Berlusconi and carousing with the billionaire businessmen along with four other young women at his luxury Sardinian villa.
"Berlusconi's harem" was the front page headline on the weekly magazine Oggi.
None of the four candidates has any political experience. Eleonora Giaggioli is an actress, while Camilla Ferranti is a former presenter on a daytime chat show who has appeared in lingerie calendars.
Her talents were spotted by Mr Berlusconi, who put her name forward for a role in a soap opera produced by one of the television channels he owns.
Another potential candidate, Barbara Matera, was a hostess on a football show and a former contender for Miss Italy.
"For me it's a fantastic opportunity for personal and political growth," she said .
Mr Berlusconi's centre-Right government, elected last year, has several young female ministers, the most famous of whom is Mara Carfagna, 34, his equal opportunities minister who is an ex-model who made a career out of appearing in steamy photo shoots for men's magazines.
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