Mr Three Percent in Schott's Vocab - NY Times of July 8, 2009

Schott’s Vocab - A miscellany of modern words and phrases
July 8, 2009
Bob Geldof’s nickname for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Silvio Berlusconi was embarrassed into an apology by singer-campaigner Sir Bob Geldof, in a recent interview for La Stampa, over Italy’s failure to deliver on aid promises made at the Gleneagles G8 summit in 2005.

According to The Guardian, Geldof said that Italy had delivered just 3 percent of the aid promised in 2005 and told Berlusconi:

“It is a question of credibility. Political credibility. You risk becoming ‘Mr Three Percent,’ the man who keeps just three percent of his promises.”

The Times of London quoted Berlusconi, who stated:

“I am sorry, we made a mistake. … Our Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti has made a commitment to readjust in line with our undertakings within three years.”

And the paper reported:

Mr Berlusconi admitted that Italy was “behind with its payments” but said that after Gleneagles he had been out of power for two and a half years, blaming the intervening Government of Romano Prodi and the financial crisis.