Silvio Berlusconi: A polarizing figure who reshaped Italian politics

Silvio Berlusconi, who died on Monday, was a billionaire media mogul and former Italian prime minister who transformed the nation’s politics with polarizing policies and often alarmed his allies with his brazen remarks. 

Mr. Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition, and although he himself did not have a role in government, his death could destabilize Italian politics in the coming months.

Once Italy’s richest man, Mr. Berlusconi used his television networks and other media holdings to launch his long political career, inspiring both loyalty and loathing. Supporters saw him as a capable and charismatic statesman who sought to elevate Italy on the world stage. To critics, he was a populist who threatened to undermine democracy by wielding political power as a tool to enrich himself and his businesses, reported The Associated Press. 

But there was no arguing he radically changed Italian politics when he entered the public arena in the 1990s, introducing U.S.-inspired campaigns.

As a businessman who knew the power of images, he used U.S.-style party conventions and slick advertising that broke with the gray world of Italian politics, in which voters essentially chose parties and not candidates. His rivals had to adapt.

Mr. Berlusconi saw himself as Italy’s savior from what he described as the Communist menace – years after the Berlin Wall fell, according to the Associate Press. From the start of his political career in 1994, he portrayed himself as the target of a judiciary he described as filled with leftist sympathizers, and he always proclaimed his innocence.

His business empire also faces an uncertain future. He never publicly indicated who would take full charge of his MFE company following his death, even though his eldest daughter Marina is expected to play a prominent role.

His passing was mourned by allies and rivals alike.

“We fought, won, lost many battles with him, and also for him we will bring home the goals that we had jointly set ourselves. Farewell Silvio,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.

Enrico Letta, a former center-left premier, wrote on Twitter: “Berlusconi made the history of our country. His death marks one of those moments in which everyone, whether or not they backed his choices, feels affected.”

Shares in MFE’s A- and B-shares jumped by as much as 10% after Mr. Berlusconi’s death was reported, with traders on the Milan bourse saying it could pave the way for the company to be sold or merged with a rival.

After building a television empire in the 1980s, Mr. Berlusconi threw himself into politics in 1994 and almost immediately became prime minister. He held the post four times – 1994-5, 2001-5, 2005-6, and 2008-11 – despite multiple legal scandals.

He stepped down as prime minister for the last time in 2011, with Italy close to a Greek-style debt crisis and his own reputation sullied by allegations that he had hosted “bunga bunga” sex parties with underage women, something he denied.

He was acquitted on appeal on all charges related to the parties, but he was convicted of tax fraud in 2013, leading to a five-year ban on holding public office.

Despite his health woes and the relentless court battles, Mr. Berlusconi refused to relinquish control of Forza Italia and returned to frontline politics, winning a seat in the European Parliament in 2019 and in the Italian Senate last year.

While presenting himself as an elder statesman, he continued to fuel controversy, most notably with his refusal to blame his old friend Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, saying Moscow had only wanted to put “decent people” in charge of Kyiv.

There is no obvious successor to take the reins at Forza Italia, which won 8% of the vote in 2022, and allies and foes will want to poach his loyal electorate, who stuck with Mr. Berlusconi through thick and thin.

Perennially suntanned and vigorously promoted by his own media companies, Mr. Berlusconi brought his great skills as a salesman and communicator to the staid world of politics, offering a bright, optimistic outlook that voters lapped up.

This story was reported by Reuters. Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. AP writers Frances D’Emilio and Victor L. Simpson contributed.