Few leading figures have managed to nestle into all levels of society – and influence – like Silvio Berlusconi.
A man’s life has ended, but not his era.
Not infrequently, Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made headlines because of his lifestyle and controversial statements. The concept of bunga bunga parties, which he used to hold at his Arcore villa outside Milan, escaped few, although as recently as the beginning of the year he was cleared of bribery suspicions related to trials about the parties. Nor has his praise of Mussolini or accusation that it was Ukraine’s fault that they were invaded by Russia gone unnoticed.
Influenced for decades
But even if he has often been portrayed as a clown internationally, the populist leader has for decades influenced and will influence Italian society into the future. He was hated by many but those who loved him loved him blindly. Berlusconi became staggeringly rich with the help of football, real estate and the media. It gave him a direct link into the Italian living rooms. But Berlusconi didn’t just want to be rich, he also wanted political power. He got that through the Forza Italia party and he was prime minister for several periods from 1994 to 2011. Many believe that he was a pioneer for populist leaders like Donald Trump and Hungary’s Viktor Orban.
Won a seat in the EU Parliament
Even after he stepped down as Italy’s leader, he has continued to influence politics by controlling the public limelight. In 2019, he won a seat in the European Parliament and his Forza Italia party is now part of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s governing coalition. Berlusconi himself must have had clear ideas about how the country should be led until the end. Among others, the incumbent Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto from Forza Italia. Berlusconi’s directive will continue to sound.
Berlusconi leaves behind partly a business empire, partly a political legacy that shaped Italy and will continue to influence Italian politics and the country’s position in the outside world. His life is over, but his era will continue.