Former Italian prime minister, senator and entrepreneur Silvio Berlusconi died at the age of 86 in his hometown of Milan at San Raffaele Hospital on June 12.
Berlusconi had suffered from health problems for a long time. He had heart problems and leukemia. In 2020, he contracted the corona virus, the after-effects of which were prolonged.
Berlusconi was not only the longest reigning prime minister in Italy after the fascist regime, but also a successful entrepreneur. According to Forbes magazine his fortune was worth 6.4 billion, making him the third richest person in Italy.
Berlusconi became famous not only for his business and political career, but also for his frequent scandals, criminal charges and inappropriate comments. During his tenure as Prime Minister, he commented on the President of the United States, among other things Barack Obama’s skin color and called this tanned.
In turn, he has named himself the world’s best leader and the Jesus of politics.
The influence of a contradictory figure in Italian society was great. His commercial television channels brought entertainment to Italian homes, and the football club he previously owned, AC Milan, won the Italian premier league several times.
He bullied Finns, for example, in the early 2000s, when Italy competed with Finland for the location of the EU’s food agency. Berlusconi criticized Finnish food as bad taste and compared Italian smoked ham to Finnish reindeer. The wooden churches in Finland also got the word out: they were, according to Berlusconi’s comment in 2009, “demolition-like hovels”.
A businessman who entered politics
Berlusconi was a well-known entrepreneur in Italy even before entering politics. As a young man, Berlusconi worked on a cruise ship as an entertainment host. Then came the media and advertising business and football.
Berlusconi’s family owns Italy’s largest commercial television company Mediaset, which has three television channels, as well as advertising giant Fininvest. In addition, Berlusconi previously owned Sports Club AC Milan, which won several Serie A championships in Italy’s first football league. In 2017, he gave up Milan, but the following year bought the Monza team, which he was the owner of until his death.
Extensive media ownership gave Berlusconi enormous power over what was on the country’s news agenda and how issues were covered.
Berlusconi became prime minister for the first time in 1994, when the right-wing party he founded, Forza Italia, won the elections. Berlusconi entered politics shortly after the corruption scandal known as Tangentopoli almost led to the departure of an entire generation of politicians.
Berlusconi managed to serve as prime minister four different times between 1994 and 2011 – a total of nine years, longer than any other Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini after.
Berlusconi brought commercialism and personal drive to serious politics. He has been invited As the first populist in Italian politics.
Among other things, Berlusconi attracted voters by promising pension reforms and assuring the Italians that he would never raise taxes. Despite the scandals and accusations, a strong supporter base still exists – especially among pensioners.
– We are the only party that does not aim to collect money from the pockets of Italians, Berlusconi said when he often accused the Italian left of raising taxes.
A friend of Putin and Gaddafi
The political career was overshadowed by private life scandals and lawsuits. He has been prosecuted 35 times for example, interfering with minors, abuse of political position, giving bribes and corruption.
Berlusconi entered into two marriages, from which he has a total of five children. He also had a young common-law partner with whom he arranged informal wedding in the spring of last year.
Berlusconi shook the world throughout his career with sexist remarks with comments. Two Italian female MPs also accused Berlusconi of sexual harassment already in 2009.
The objectifying image of women on Berlusconi’s television channels has also often been the target of criticism from Italian equality activists and political opponents.
Many people also remember Berlusconi’s scandals that made headlines Known as Bunga Bunga party at his villa on the island of Sardinia.
– I am undoubtedly a person who has been subjected to the worst (political) persecution in the entire history of mankind, Berlusconi said in 2009, when his parliamentary immunity from prosecution was removed.
In 2011, Berlusconi had to leave the post of prime minister for the last time in the middle of the economic crisis that rocked Italy. In 2013, he was convicted of tax fraud and lost his representative seat in parliament.
Berlusconi’s political career was thought to have been sealed, but it turned out otherwise. In the 2019 European elections, he was elected to the European Parliament and in the 2022 elections again to the Italian Parliament as a senator. His party, Forza Italia, is now part of the country’s far-right government.
During his career, Berlusconi maintained warm relations with internationally contradictory rulers such as the former dictator of Libya to Muammar Gaddafi. Also Berlusconi and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin the close friendship was in the headlines a lot.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Berlusconi distanced himself from Putin, but still occasionally defended his old friend’s actions.
A hated and loved laugher
Although Berlusconi has had a strong base of supporters, many, especially younger Italians, downright dislike his way of thinking and do not share it at any level.
Still, there is a certain sympathy towards Berlusconi. For Italians, Berlusconi is a personaggio, i.e. a figure whose political, cultural and economic influence is impossible for anyone to deny.
Recently, Berlusconi was less and less in public due to his illness. However, during last September’s general election, he registered on TikTok to attract young voters. His videos became a hit.
He also appeared for the last time in front of the public before the parliamentary elections, at the closing ceremony of the right-wing coalition’s campaign event in Rome.
There he joked in front of the audience in a recognizable Berlusconi way. The presenter introduced Berlusconi by saying: “Italy’s most successful entrepreneur and politically influential man”.
– Who paid you to say that, Berlusconi commented, and the audience burst into laughter.
You can discuss the topic on 13.6. until 11 p.m.