Berlusconi's growing media empire

Mr Berlusconi: a hate figure for the European left

The media magnate and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi intends to extend his business interests in Germany, but critics rail against his conflicts of interest at home. Gillian Hargreaves reports from Rome.

Silvio Berlusconi - whose contacts with Tony Blair have enraged Labour backbenchers - is in the process of extending his already substantial media empire.

The Kirch media group in Germany, which owns the television rights to the next two Football World Cups, is in serious trouble. Mr Berlusconi's family firm, Mediaset, is one of Kirch's shareholders, and is trying - in co-operation with Rupert Murdoch - to put together a rescue plan which would involve taking control of the German company.

The idea of such a Murdoch-Berlusconi consortium building up its position in the EU will raise many hackles, not least in Italy itself, though the Italian Senate is debating a conflict of interest bill this week which is intended to silence Mr Berlusconi's critics.