Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was 86 years old.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is dead. He died on Monday at the age of 86, a spokesman for Berlusconi told the German Press Agency. Italian media had previously reported on Berlusconi’s death in a Milan hospital. In the past few decades, the billionaire had determined politics in Italy like no other, but at the same time also polarized it extremely.
Berlusconi was born on September 29, 1936, was initially a businessman and since 1994 has been Prime Minister of four Italian governments. He helped determine the fate of the country for more than two decades and was controversial throughout his life, but was also admired by many.
For the former head of government Mario Monti, Berlusconi was the “father of all populists”, he once called himself “Jesus Christ of politics”. Again and again there were allegations of conflicts of interest between his office and the media empire Mediaset, which he controls. He also had to face numerous lawsuits.
He was expelled from parliament in 2013 in connection with a tax evasion fine and was banned from holding public office in the following years. He complained against it before the European Court of Human Rights. Most recently he was a member of the Senate, the smaller of the two chambers of parliament in Rome.
In March 2015 he was finally acquitted in the “Bunga-Bunga” trial for sex with underage prostitutes and abuse of office. Follow-up proceedings for bribery of witnesses also ended in acquittal. However, the conflicts with the law did not dampen his popularity with many Italians.
He was Prime Minister of four governments in Italy.
(Photo: Reuters)
In the wake of the financial crisis, he finally had to resign as prime minister in 2011. Again and again he tried the political comeback for a top office. But the “Cavaliere” did not manage to make a roaring return to the big stage. His last dream of becoming president also burst in early 2022.
In terms of health, Berlusconi repeatedly had major health problems in his last years: in 2016 he had heart surgery, in 2020 he had to go to the hospital because of a corona infection and pneumonia. In 2022 he was also hospitalized for a urinary tract infection.
In 1997 he underwent surgery for a prostate tumour. He had also had a pacemaker for several years. Recently it became known that he suffers from chronic leukemia.
Again and again there were allegations of conflicts of interest between his office and the media empire Mediaset, which he controls.
(Photo: AFP)
His Forza Italia, which he had made the largest party in the 1994 parliamentary elections, continued to shrink in the boot state. This was also due to the fact that Berlusconi hardly allowed any political heirs and Forza Italia was always associated with his name. After all, she made it back into government as a small partner of Giorgia Meloni in autumn 2022.
In private, too, Berlusconi always made headlines. The twice-divorced politician leaves behind five children and many grandchildren. Most recently, he was with Forza Italia MP Marta Fascina, who was more than 50 years younger than Berlusconi.
The death of former Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi leaves a huge void, according to Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. “I loved him very much. Farewell Silvio,” Crosetto wrote on Twitter.