ROME (AP) — Silvio Berlusconi exerted a mesmerizing influence over Italy, but his tenure nearly pushed the country to the brink of financial disaster.
Berlusconi’s opulence, charisma, and audacious demeanor captivated many Italians, who repeatedly voted him into power, making him the longest-serving prime minister in the nation’s history.
Nothing seemed capable of shaking the former cruise ship crooner—neither his corruption trials nor his diplomatic blunders, not even the allegations that he was undermining the country, nor the sensational scandals arising from his sex-fueled “bunga bunga” parties with young women at his villas, which transformed him into an international laughingstock.
In 2009, Berlusconi encapsulated his hold on Italian politics, declaring, “The majority of Italians, deep down in their hearts, wish to be like me.”
However, this adoration waned in 2011 when Europe’s debt crisis plunged Italy’s economy into disarray. Many held Berlusconi accountable, leading to his forced resignation. As he stepped down from his third and final term as prime minister, after a leadership tenure spanning 17 years, the sounds of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” resonated from the crowd gathered outside the government palace.
In recent years, Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia political party experienced a decline in support. However, it maintained a coalition partnership with Giorgia Meloni, the current Premier and a far-right leader who assumed power in 2022. Despite Berlusconi holding no official position in the government, his passing is unlikely to have any significant impact on the government’s stability. His allies have already expressed their commitment to continuing the party.
Berlusconi had been undergoing treatment for chronic leukemia and was admitted to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital on Friday. In honor of his death, a state funeral will take place on Wednesday at Milan’s Duomo cathedral, organized by the Milan Archdiocese.
As Italy’s wealthiest individual at one point, Silvio Berlusconi leveraged his television networks and other media assets to embark on a lengthy political journey, which evoked both staunch loyalty and vehement criticism.
His supporters regarded him as a competent and charismatic statesman who aimed to elevate Italy’s global standing. However, critics perceived him as a populist figure who jeopardized democracy by utilizing political influence to advance his personal wealth and business interests.
Nevertheless, it was undeniable that Berlusconi brought about a significant transformation in Italian politics upon his entry into the public sphere during the 1990s, introducing campaigns inspired by the United States.
Berlusconi enjoyed a period where he appeared invulnerable.
Numerous criminal cases were initiated against him, but they often resulted in dismissals due to the slow pace of Italy’s justice system or his success on appeal. Investigations focused on Berlusconi’s infamous parties involving young women and minors, as well as his extensive business empire that encompassed AC Milan, the nation’s three largest private TV networks, magazines, a daily newspaper, and advertising and film companies.
In the end, Berlusconi faced conviction on only one count—tax fraud—related to a film rights transaction.
In 2013, Berlusconi’s tax fraud conviction was upheld by Italy’s top criminal court, leading to the removal of his Senate seat and a ban from holding public office for a set period as per anti-corruption laws. However, he managed to make a comeback by becoming a lawmaker in the European Parliament at the age of 82. He further returned to Italy’s Senate in 2022.
Throughout this period, Berlusconi remained at the helm of Forza Italia, the center-right party he founded when he entered politics, which derived its name from a soccer chant, “Let’s go, Italy.” However, as no clear successor was groomed, voters began to drift away from the party.
Berlusconi’s party gradually lost its position as the dominant force on the political right in Italy. First, it was overtaken by the League, led by the anti-migrant populist Matteo Salvini. Later, the Brothers of Italy party, with roots in neo-fascism and led by Giorgia Meloni, emerged as a more prominent political force. Following the 2022 elections, Meloni formed a government with the support of these parties.
Berlusconi’s position as Italy’s richest individual dwindled over time, although his extensive media holdings and luxury real estate investments still ensured his billionaire status.
In 2013, one of Berlusconi’s parties became embroiled in scandal when it was alleged that an underage Moroccan dancer had engaged in sexual acts with him in exchange for cash and jewelry. Following a trial filled with salacious details, a Milan court initially found Berlusconi guilty of paying for sex with a minor and attempting to cover it up using his political influence. However, both Berlusconi and the dancer denied having sexual relations, and he was eventually acquitted.
Despite his conservative politics, Berlusconi’s actions scandalized the Catholic Church, and his nearly 20-year marriage ended in divorce. However, he remained unapologetic, declaring himself far from a saint. Pope Francis sent a message of condolence to his family upon his death.
Berlusconi’s second term as prime minister, spanning from 2001 to 2006, can be considered his golden era. During this time, he became Italy’s longest-serving head of government and enhanced the country’s global profile through his friendship with U.S. President George W. Bush. Contrary to prevailing sentiment in Italy and Europe, Berlusconi supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
As a shrewd businessman who understood the power of imagery, Berlusconi adopted U.S.-style party conventions and employed slick advertising that deviated from the conventional landscape of Italian politics, where voters primarily chose parties rather than individual candidates. His rivals had to adapt to his tactics.
Berlusconi presented himself as Italy’s savior from what he characterized as the lingering Communist threat, even years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since the beginning of his political career in 1994, he depicted himself as a victim of a judiciary infiltrated by left-wing sympathizers and consistently maintained his innocence.
When the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement gained momentum, Berlusconi denounced it as a greater menace than Communism.
His close friendship with the former Socialist leader and ex-Prime Minister Bettino Craxi was widely believed to have helped him become a media mogul. Nonetheless, Berlusconi portrayed himself as a self-made man, attributing his success to relentless hard work.
He openly boasted about his libido and hosted parties at his villas for friends and world leaders. Reports surfaced of women dressed as “little Santas” at one event, while photos captured topless women and a naked man lounging by the pool at another.
“I love life! I love women!” a defiant Berlusconi declared in 2010.
He occasionally appointed television starlets to positions within his Forza Italia party, making remarks such as “If I weren’t married, I would marry you immediately” to Mara Carfagna, who later became a Cabinet minister. Berlusconi’s then-wife publicly demanded an apology.
Berlusconi earned the nickname “Papi” or “Daddy” from an aspiring model whose 18th birthday party he attended, much to his wife’s annoyance. Later, a self-described escort named Patrizia D’Addario claimed to have spent the night with him on the evening of Barack Obama’s election as U.S. president in 2008.
He had a passion for soccer, much like millions of Italians, and enjoyed composing and singing Neapolitan songs, reminiscing about his earlier days as an entertainer on cruise ships. Berlusconi could often be found in the stands at AC Milan matches
Berlusconi took pleasure in defying political conventions. He notably wore a bandanna during a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at his estate in Sardinia, later revealing that he had undergone hair transplants. He often posed for photographs at international summits while making an Italian gesture known for its offensive or superstitious connotations, where the index and pinkie fingers are extended like horns.
Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, Berlusconi sparked anger by asserting the superiority of Western civilization over Islam.
In 2003, when confronted by a German lawmaker’s criticism at the European Parliament, Berlusconi likened his opponent to a concentration camp guard. Years later, he drew outrage by comparing his family’s legal troubles to the suffering of Jews in Nazi Germany.
Berlusconi was born on September 29, 1936, in Milan, the son of a middle-class banker. He obtained a law degree and wrote his thesis on advertising. Starting a construction company at the age of 25, he constructed residential complexes for middle-class families on the outskirts of Milan, benefiting from the postwar economic boom.
However, his enormous wealth came from his involvement in the media industry. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he circumvented Italy’s state TV monopoly, RAI, by creating a de facto network where local stations aired identical programming. By 2006, RAI and his Mediaset television network controlled around 90% of the national market.
When the “Clean Hands” corruption scandals shook Italy’s political establishment in the 1990s, Berlusconi seized the opportunity and founded Forza Italia in 1994, filling the void left by the discredited politicians.
His first government, formed in 1994, collapsed after only eight months when a volatile ally who led an anti-immigrant party withdrew support. However, employing an aggressive campaign that included mass mailings of glossy magazines recounting his success story, Berlusconi achieved a sweeping victory in 2001.
During his five-year tenure as prime minister, he shuffled his Cabinet on occasion and set a record for the longest-serving government in Italian history. However, it was not without challenges.
The Group of Eight summit that he hosted in Genoa in 2001 was marred by violent anti-globalization protests and the death of a protester shot by a police officer. Berlusconi faced strong opposition at home and alienated some allies by deploying 3,000 troops to Iraq following Saddam Hussein’s ousting in 2003. At one point, Italy had the third-largest contingent in the U.S.-led coalition.
On the domestic front, Berlusconi constantly faced accusations of enacting laws to protect his own interests or those of his businesses. Nevertheless, he maintained that he always acted in the best interest of all Italians. Critics argued that legislation passed during his tenure, which allowed officeholders to own media companies but not run them, was tailor-made to benefit Berlusconi.
Inspired by his admiration for U.S. President Ronald Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Berlusconi implemented reforms that partially liberalized Italy’s labor and pension systems, which were known for their inflexibility. He also fostered a friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who stayed at his Sardinian estate, and made notable visits to Russia, including a trip to Crimea after Moscow’s controversial annexation of the peninsula in 2014.
In 2006, as Italy faced economic challenges with zero growth and a rising budget deficit, Berlusconi narrowly lost the general election to Romano Prodi, the center-left leader and former president of the European Union Commission. Italy was often derided as “the sick man of Europe” during this period.
However, Berlusconi made a political comeback in 2008 and served another term as prime minister. His tenure was cut short in 2011 when financial markets lost confidence in his ability to navigate Italy through the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis. Under pressure, Berlusconi resigned, bringing an end to his final term as premier.
Throughout his political career, Berlusconi faced various health issues. He dealt with heart ailments, prostate cancer, and was hospitalized for COVID-19 in 2020.
In 2009, during a political rally, Berlusconi was attacked when a man threw a souvenir statuette of Milan’s cathedral at him, causing injuries such as a fractured nose, cracked teeth, and a cut lip.
Berlusconi had two marriages. His first marriage was in 1965 to Carla Dall’Oglio, with whom he had two children, Marina and Piersilvio. They were both groomed to take up prominent positions within Berlusconi’s business empire. He then married Veronica Lario in 1990, and they had three children: Barbara, Eleonora, and Luigi. Berlusconi and Lario divorced, and at the time of his death, he was in a relationship with Marta Fascina, a 33-year-old member of parliament from his party who was elected in the previous year.