In an emotional address to Italians, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has vowed to remain in politics, despite his expected expulsion from parliament over tax fraud. 

In an televised address just before a Senate committee was expected to throw him out of politics, he called on voters to relaunch his Forza Italia campaign, which catapulted him into government in 1994. 

"I will always be with you, at your side, expelled from parliament or not. You can be a politician without being in parliament. It is not the parliamentary seat that makes a leader, but popular consensus - your consensus."

As a punishment, Berlusconi is expected to serve a one-year term in house arrest or do community service, instead of going to jail.

That's pared down from a four-year jail term the supreme court confirmed last month. 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.