Silvio Berlusconi, the 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, died on Monday. He was 86.
„Berlusconi is dead,” Mediaset declared on its homepage Monday.
He was hospitalized on Friday for the second time in months for treatment of chronic leukemia.
Berlusconi, Italy’s longest-serving premier who counted Russian President Vladimir Putin as a friend and gained notoriety for his „bunga bunga” sex parties.
He died at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital at around 0730 GMT. Four of his five children and his brother Paolo had been at his bedside, ANSA reported shortly before his death was announced.
Berlusconi, who in 2006 reportedly referred to himself as the „Jesus Christ of politics,” served as the Italian premier for a total of nine years across four governments.
He was the longest-serving Italian leader since the country became a republic in 1946.
Berlusconi began his political rise after founding the center-right Forza Italia party in 1994 and immediately gaining a relative majority.
His business empire also faces an uncertain future. He never publicly indicated who would take full charge of his MFE company following his death. His eldest daughter Marina is expected to play a prominent role.
His passing was mourned across the political spectrum.
„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, feel affected.”
He was convicted for tax fraud in 2013, leading to a five-year ban on holding public office.
Despite his health problems and court battles, Berlusconi refused to hand over control of Forza Italia and won a seat in the European Parliament in 2019 and in the Italian Senate last year.
Known for his controversy, he refused to blame his old ally Putin for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, saying Moscow had only wanted to put „decent people” in charge of Kyiv.
