Silvio Berlusconi and Vladimir Putin 2015
“For me, Silvio was a dear person, a true friend,” wrote the President of Russia on the death of the former Italian Prime Minister.
(Photo: AP)
Rome Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi died on Monday in a Milan hospital aged 86. In recent decades, the billionaire has determined politics in Italy like no other, but at the same time has also extremely polarized it.
Berlusconi was born on September 29, 1936, he was initially a businessman and since 1994 he has been Prime Minister of four Italian governments. He helped determine the country’s destiny for more than two decades and was controversial throughout his lifetime, but also admired by many.
Above all, authoritarian and right-wing conservative heads of state and government personally expressed their grief over Berlusconi’s death on Monday. “For me, Silvio was a dear person, a true friend,” Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin wrote in a condolence telegram. He praised the former Italian prime minister, with whom he remained in contact even after the attack on Ukraine, for his vision, balanced decisions, humor and joie de vivre, as he wrote. Berlusconi’s death was an “irreplaceable loss and a profound misfortune”.
“The great fighter is gone!” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote on his Facebook page. The right-wing populist was an early admirer of Berlusconi, with whom he was a personal friend. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “deeply saddened” and offered his condolences to the Berlusconi family and the Italian people. “Silvio was a great friend of Israel and was always by our side. Rest in peace my friend.”
Other condolences were more sober. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that Berlusconi “led Italy through a period of political transition and has continued to shape his beloved country ever since”.
There was also a reaction from Berlin to the news from Italy. “We learned today of the death of former Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi. We express our condolences to the Italian people and the Italian government,” said deputy federal government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner.
Election campaign in November 2015
He was Prime Minister of four governments in Italy.
(Photo: Portal)
According to Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Berlusconi’s death leaves a great void. “I loved him very much. Goodbye Silvio”, wrote Crosetto on Twitter. Giorgia Meloni. The former head of government was “above all a fighter”.
Together with Berlusconi’s conservative Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini’s populist Lega, Meloni forms a centre-right coalition in Rome. “Today we say goodbye to a great Italian. One of the greatest of all time, in all areas, from all points of view, incomparable”, salvini tweeted.
Former prime minister Mario Draghi said Berlusconi had changed policy. He was loved by millions of Italians “for his humanity and his charisma”.
Matteo Salvini, Silvio Berlusconi, Giorgia Meloni in September
Berlusconi’s Forza Italia returned to the government.
(Photo: AP)
For former head of government Mario Monti, Berlusconi was the “father of all populists”, he once called himself the “Jesus Christ of politics”. Time and again there have been allegations of conflicts of interest between his office and the Mediaset media empire, which he controls. He also had to face several lawsuits.
He was expelled from Parliament in 2013 in connection with a tax evasion fine and was banned from public office for the next few years. He complained against this before the European Court of Human Rights. More recently, he was a member of the Senate, the smaller of Rome’s two chambers of parliament.
Acquitted in the “Bunga-Bunga” trial
In March 2015, he was finally acquitted in the “Bunga-Bunga” trial for sex with underage prostitutes and abuse of power. Follow-up cases for bribery of witnesses also ended in acquittals. However, conflicts with the law have not diminished his popularity with many Italians.
After the financial crisis, he finally had to step down as Prime Minister in 2011. Time and again he attempted the political comeback to a top post. But the “Cavaliere” failed to make a resounding return to the big stage. His latest dream of becoming president also popped in early 2022.
In terms of health, Berlusconi repeatedly had major health problems in his last years: in 2016 he had a heart operation, in 2020 he had to go to the hospital because of a corona infection and pneumonia. In 2022 he was also admitted with urinary infection.
TV appearance in January 2006
Time and again there have been allegations of conflicts of interest between his office and the Mediaset media empire, which he controls.
(Photo: AFP)
In 1997, he underwent surgery for a prostate tumor. He also had a pacemaker for several years. Recently, it became known that he suffered from chronic leukemia.
His Forza Italia, of which he had made the biggest party in the 1994 parliamentary elections, continued to shrink in the state of the boot. This was also due to the fact that Berlusconi hardly allowed political heirs and Forza Italia was always associated with his name. After all, she returned to government as a small partner of Giorgia Meloni in the fall of 2022.
Also in private, Berlusconi has always made headlines. The twice-divorced politician is survived by five children and many grandchildren. More recently, he was dating Forza Italia lawmaker Marta Fascina, who was more than 50 years younger than Berlusconi.
More: Silvio Berlusconi’s obituary – He didn’t want to stop until the end, he wanted to get involved, even at 86 years old and with health problems