Silvio Berlusconi, the media mogul who revolutionized Italian television and used his private channels to become the country’s most polarizing and prosecuted prime minister, died on Monday (12) in Milan. He was 86 years old. The cause of death was not disclosed, but he had been hospitalized since last week to treat leukemia and other illnesses.
For Italians, Berlusconi was a constant source of entertainment – both comedic and tragic. For economists, he was the man who helped sink the Italian economy. For political scientists, he represented a bold new experiment in the impact of television on voters. And for tabloid reporters, he was a source of scandals, gaffes, obscene insults, and sexual escapades.
He was elected prime minister three times and served a total of nine years, more than anyone else since fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. Affectionately nicknamed “The Knight,” his career was marked by a series of political, financial, and personal scandals, many of which led him to court.
He faced charges ranging from tax evasion and bribery to corruption and sex with an underage prostitute. But only one case led him to prison—a conviction in 2012 for tax fraud in a deal involving television rights.
After the Milan court granted him “rehabilitation” in 2018, effectively lifting the ban on re-entering politics that had been in place following his 2012 tax fraud conviction, he announced he would run for a seat in the European Parliament.
He was elected in May 2019, at the age of 83, and remained active as a Member of the European Parliament until his death.
Beppe Severgnini, author of a book about Berlusconi, described the politician as a “proto-populist” whose success paved the way for leaders like Hungarian Viktor Orban, British Boris Johnson, and former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Berlusconi was actually less arrogant and less unpleasant than most, but he started it all,” Severgnini told CNN.
From real estate entrepreneur to politics
Born in Milan in 1936, Berlusconi first made a name for himself as a business mogul, eventually becoming the richest man in Italy.
He showcased his showman side by working as a lounge singer aboard a cruise ship to pay for university, where he studied law.
Several business ventures followed before the young entrepreneur enjoyed his first real success in real estate in the late 1960s, when he got involved in a project to build Milano Two—a complex with nearly 4,000 apartments—just outside Milan.
After amassing a fortune with his property portfolio in the 1970s, he diversified his finances by launching a cable TV company, Telemilano, and buying two other cable channels in an effort to break the national TV monopoly in Italy. In 1978, these channels were incorporated into the newly formed Fininvest group, which included department stores, insurance companies, and even AC Milan—one of the world’s biggest football clubs, which he owned for 31 years.
Berlusconi turned his attention to politics in 1993 when he formed the center-right party Forza Italia, named in honor of “Forza, Italia!” (Go, Italy!), a chant heard at Italian national football team games.
The following year, in a snap election, he became prime minister. However, an accusation of tax fraud ended Berlusconi’s term after just seven months. He was acquitted of the charges in an appeals court in 2000.
After losing the 1996 election to his political rival, Romano Prodi, he became embroiled in further financial scandals, including accusations of bribing tax inspectors. He denied any wrongdoing and was acquitted again in 2000.
In 2001 he was sworn in as prime minister for the second time. But Prodi ended Berlusconi’s most successful reign with a coalition victory from the center-left Union in 2006.
Despite having a pacemaker implanted to regulate his heartbeat after fainting during a political rally, he refused to slow down. Sporting a hair transplant, cosmetic surgery, and a tan, Berlusconi returned to power for the third time in 2008.
With the country’s economy wobbling amid the financial crisis, pressure mounted on Berlusconi. Economists said he lacked the political authority to approve spending cuts or the moral authority to extract more taxes from Italians while facing trial on various charges. Other European leaders criticized him for not implementing economic reform with enough urgency.
He resigned in November 2011, hours after the lower house of the Italian parliament approved a series of austerity measures demanded by Europe to restore confidence in the country’s economy.
Life of scandals
Meanwhile, the politician faced a series of personal challenges. He was found guilty in 2013 of paying for sex with a minor, Karima el Mahroug, 17, and abuse of power. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, but an appeals court overturned the conviction.
After his 2012 tax fraud conviction, Berlusconi was sentenced to four years in prison. However, he escaped with one year of community service because, in Italy, people over 70 generally do not go to prison.
The last time Berlusconi made headlines was in 2022 when he revealed he had rekindled a friendship with Vladimir Putin after the Russian president sent him 20 bottles of vodka for his birthday. He later criticized Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky for “starting the war,” which put him at odds with his coalition partner and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Berlusconi leaves behind five children: Piersilvio and Marina from his first marriage to Carla Dall’Oglio, which ended in 1985, and Luigi, Eleonora, and Barbara from his marriage to Veronica Lario, which ended in 2012.
Source: The New York Times and CNN