http://www.smh.com.au/world/pms-wife-wants-55m-a-month-20100201-n8se.html
PM's wife wants $5.5m a month NICK PISA February 2, 2010 ROME: Silvio Berlusconi and his estranged wife have met for the first time in nine months as their lawyers reportedly exchanged details of alleged infidelities during bitter divorce talks. The 73-year-old Italian prime minister and Veronica Lario, 53, spent 20 minutes in the same room during a five-hour meeting between their lawyers. The infidelity claims formed part of the talks between their representatives, the Italian media reported on Sunday. Miss Lario is demanding ?3.5 million ($5.5 million) a month in maintenance from her husband of 19 years, claiming that she could no longer be with a man who ''associates with minors'', a reference to her husband's friendship with a teenage model whose 18th birthday party he attended last year. Talks took place at the Milan prefect's office on Saturday in front of a civil judge. A spokesman for Miss Lario said: ''The meeting in front of the judge took place and divorce is now inevitable.'' Miss Lario announced she was leaving her husband last April after details emerged of his friendship with Naomi Letizia and the lavish birthday presents he gave her. A pro-Berlusconi newspaper claimed Miss Lario had been conducting an affair with her bodyguard. Neither of them commented on the allegation but friends of the bodyguard have since insisted there was no truth in the story. Miss Lario's lawyer highlighted the allegations of the escort Patrizia D'Addario who last year claimed she was paid to spend the night with the prime minister in 2008. Mr Berlusconi denies ever paying for sexual relations. Mr Berlusconi's lawyer said the prime minister was only prepared to offer ?200,000 a month. The next court hearing is scheduled for next month. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
