His disclosures of his plastic surgeries, like the “California lifting” he had at a Swiss clinic, increased his emotional appeal for both men and women. His boasts about his virility angered critics who saw his machismo as part of his authoritarian governing style, but delighted his admirers. “He lost his wife but not his votes,” said commentator Beppe Severgnini in 2009 of the consequences of his compulsion to have young female bodies at his disposal.
