Ex-Italian PM, Silvio Berlusconi, dies at 86

Former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has passed away at age 86, according to the news agency, Ansa.

The Italian billionaire, senator, four-time prime minister and media mogul died on Monday.

Berlusconi, who polarized the country’s politics and frequently worried his allies with his bold statements had suffered from leukaemia and recently developed a lung infection.

He died at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital, where he had been since Friday, 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.

Raised in a middle-class family and born in Milan in 1936, he started his business career in real estate before founding Mediaset, Italy’s biggest commercial broadcaster.

Between 1986 and 2017, he was also the owner of the football team AC Milan.

One of Italy’s most outspoken politicians, Berlusconi made a return in 2017 despite having a career marred by sex scandals, numerous accusations of corruption, and a tax fraud conviction.

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 is likely to destabilise Italian politics in the coming months.

His business empire also faces an uncertain future. He never publicly indicated who would take full charge of his MFE (MFEB.MI) 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 centre-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.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid tribute to Berlusconi, calling him a “dear person, a true friend”, according to the Kremlin.

AC Milan has paid tribute, calling their former president “unforgettable”.

In a tweet, Milan said: “Tomorrow, we will dream of new ambitions, create new challenges, and seek new victories.

“Which will represent the good, the strong, and the true that lies inside us, in all of us who shared this adventure of binding our lives to a dream called Milan. Thank you, Mr. President. Always with us.”

Shares in MFE’s A- and B-shares jumped by as much as 10% after 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, 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 several allegations of being involved in sex parties with underage women, something he denied.

After being found guilty of tax fraud in late 2012, Berlusconi completed part-time community service at a Milanese residential facility to complete his year-long sentence. In time for the 2018 general elections, where Forza Italia campaigned in partnership with the League and Brothers of Italy but fell short of the requisite 40% to govern, his ban on running for office was overturned.

The Brothers of Italy, a coalition led by Giorgia Meloni’s party, helped Berlusconi’s party retake power in general elections in October 2022. Berlusconi earned a seat in the European Parliament in 2019.

Additionally, Berlusconi won a seat in the Senate.

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