Italy's Constitutional Court decided Oct. 7 to overturn a law granting Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi immunity from prosecution while holding office. The court's verdict will allow three previously suspended cases against Berlusconi to be reopened. Berlusconi immediately responded to the decision and the charges brought against him as "laughable," stating that he was determined to overcome these cases and that his government would "forge ahead calmly, tranquilly and with even more grit than before." Berlusconi likely has enough influence to either defeat the renewed accusations or stall them indefinitely. However, the legal fracas could affect Berlusconi's power both at home and abroad. Berlusconi has been involved in multiple legal proceedings throughout his political career, which includes three stints as prime minister (in 1994, 2001-2006, and 2008 to the present day). In 2003, the Constitutional Court overturned the law granting Berlusconi's immunity (just like it did Oct. 7), and he was brought to trial on corruption charges related to business deals made during the 1980s. Berlusconi represented himself at the court hearing and was able to clear himself of those charges in 2004. When he became prime minister again in 2008, Berlusconi reinstated the immunity law with his parliamentary majority so that court cases against him would not return. But the Constitutional Court's Oct. 7 decision will allow a new round of cases to resurface. Just as in 2003, the most serious of these cases is a corruption case, only this time around Berlusconi is accused of bribing a British lawyer in a case involving tax fraud and false accounting related to Berlusconi's media firm, Mediaset. The potential for the sitting prime minister to face corruption charges threatens to weaken Berlusconi's ability to govern. Under Berlusconi, Rome has become one of the major players in Europe by establishing a very good rapport with the United States and good relations with Russia through various business and energy deals. But these latest legal woes will become a distraction, forcing Berlusconi to take a backseat in international affairs. That said, Berlusconi's domestic hold on power is highly entrenched, as he has been able to unite disparate political movements under a strong central government with him firmly at the helm of the center-right coalition. Indeed, politicians in Berlusconi's coalition were quick to voice their support for him. Furthermore, the cases against Berlusconi are similar to those he has faced before. Even if he is convicted, he is allowed two appeals and can delay the court's decision for quite some time. The statute of limitations for the corruption case is set to expire in two years, and Berlusconi could try to drag out the cases until they have to be dismissed. Another important consideration is that Italian politics are inherently chaotic. In many other Western countries, the Oct. 7 decision by the Constitutional Court would prompt the prime minister's immediate resignation. But Italy has a much higher threshold for such political intrigue — and if anyone has experience in dealing with such issues, it is Berlusconi.