Silvio Berlusconi European journalists protest against

Brussels - International media unions inBrussels mounted a protest Thursday against Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi over his alleged attempts to intimidate Europeannewspapers which have reported extensively about his controversial private life.

The International Federation of Journalists, the International Press Association and Reporters Without Borders urged journalists covering Thursday evening's informal European Union summit in Brussels to wear stickers defending freedom of the press.

"For the first time in the history of the European Union, a chief of government, the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, launched a virulent offense against press freedom by carrying out legal action against various Italian and European media," the unions wrote in a leaflet.

"In short, Mr Berlusconi did not hesitate to use his political and economic power to muzzle information in Italy and in the European Union," it said.

The summit marked Berlusconi's first visit to Brussels since his threat to block EU proceedings over perceived criticisms of his country by European Commission spokespersons.

During a visit to Gdansk, Poland, on September 1, Berlusconi threatened to "block the functioning of the European Council" of EU leaders unless the EU's "commissioners and their spokespersons stopped making public comments on any theme."

The threat came after a commission spokesman told journalists that Brussels was seeking clarifications from Rome over reports that Italy had sent a boat full of would-be immigrants back to Libya.

Simultaneously, the media mogul-turned-politician has sued, or threatened to sue, Italy's La Repubblica and L'Unita newspapers, Spanish daily El Pais and French publication Nouvel Observateur, over articles or editorials deemed by Berlusconi to be defamatory.

The left-of-centre daily La Repubblica, in particular, has been targeted by incessant attacks from Berlusconi after it published a list of 10 questions concerning the premier's alleged involvement with prostitutes and minors.

The questions, which Berlusconi has to date refused to answer, were at least in part inspired by comments made by the premier's wife, Veronica Lario, upon announcing her intention to file for a divorce.

"If these questions had been asked - possibly in a different way, since they are so insolent, offensive and defamatory - by a newspaper that did not act as a super political party ... I would have replied," Berlusconi said earlier this month.

Reports of Berlusconi's role in a sex-for-favours scandal involving scores of prostitutes have featured prominently in the European media.

The premier, who will turn 73 later this month, has not denied reports that he spent the night of Barack Obama's election to the US presidency, in November, in the company of Patrizia D'Addario, a 42-year-old escort.

While underlining the importance of freedom of the press in Europe, European Commissionspokesman Johannes Laitenberger declined to comment on Thursday's initiative, saying only that Berlusconi's legal actions against newspapers were a matter for the courts to settle.

Berlusconi owns Italy's largest private television network, Mediaset, as well as severalnewspapers and magazines. He also has a powerful voice in the running of state television RAI, Mediaset's strongest rival, through his parliamentary majority.

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