(CN) — Silvio Berlusconi, the former cruise ship crooner and real estate developer who became Italy's larger-than-life political and business titan, has died at the age of 86.
Berlusconi died in a Milan hospital Monday following weeks of medical problems. He was taken to hospital on Friday for tests related to chronic leukemia. In April, he spent more than a month under hospital care due to a lung infection. In recent years, he's struggled with health issues, including heart ailments and Covid infection.
He remained in politics – and in the headlines – until his death, serving as both a senator and the head of his political party, Forza Italia, which is part of a right-wing coalition government led by far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“He was a man who was never afraid to defend his convictions and it was exactly that courage and that determination that made him one of the most influential men in the history of Italy, that allowed him to impose genuine changes in the world of politics, communication and business,” Meloni said in a video message. “With him we have fought, won and lost many battles.”
The rise of post-fascist parties like Meloni's Brothers of Italy can be traced in large part to Berlusconi because he was the first Italian leader since the end of World War II to welcome neo-fascists into his government when he first rose of power in 1994 following the collapse of Italy's political establishment amid the “mani pulite” scandals, a nationwide judicial investigation into political corruption.
Berlusconi's political role, though, greatly diminished after he left the prime minister's office in 2011 under a cloud of scandal connected to his notorious “bunga bunga” parties, international gaffes and mishandling of Italy's economy.
He is remembered for numerous distasteful remarks, such as calling former U.S. President Barack Obama “suntanned,” and for his flamboyant behavior and arrogance. But he is also beloved by many Italians for his warmth, love for animals, antics and charisma.
He served as prime minister for long periods between 1994 and 2011 and came to dominate Italian life with his controversies, scandals and political maneuvers to privilege his business dealings and shield himself from prosecution.
On Monday, tributes poured in for Berlusconi, though reaction in Italy was deeply split. He remains a very popular personality for many Italians and supporters began to amass at his estate outside Milan.
But he was a divisive figure who transformed Italian culture and politics through his media empire and abrasive right-wing populist rhetoric. His critics contend he left the country much worse off and that he failed to deliver on his many promises to modernize Italy, lower taxes and streamline bureaucracy.
“Looking back, there is a general sense of lost time – of a country that was paralyzed by the personal interests and woes of a politician-entrepreneur,” wrote Mario Portanova, a columnist for Il Fatto Quotidiano, an Italian newspaper. “The name of Silvio Berlusconi is inextricably linked to an era, but not to an epochal turning point, to any reform whatsoever.”
Allegations of corruption and links to the Mafia dogged him for his entire public life. He was the subject of numerous investigations and trials, though he was only convicted of tax evasion and did not serve any time in prison. Many figures in his inner circle also faced prosecution and several were sent to prison.
Berlusconi is often compared to former U.S. President Donald Trump and many political experts consider the long-time Italian leader as foreshadowing the present age of anti-democratic populist leaders.
With his diatribes against “communists” and “the left,” Berlusconi is particularly despised by those on the left who see him as demolishing Italy's public services and coarsening public discourse.
“Look around, and you can see his legacy everywhere,” Paolo Gerbaudo, a sociologist at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa and King’s College London, wrote in an opinion piece for the Guardian newspaper following his death. “The years that followed Berlusconi’s exit from office vindicated his political style, which combined extreme personality politics, a skillful use of visual media and an unashamed demagogy – all to tap into voters’ disillusionment and cynicism about the status quo. It is hard to think of another politician more prefigurative of politics to come.”
Before entering politics, Berlusconi performed as a singer on cruise ships, entered into real estate development in Milan and then built a media empire by taking possession of Italy's private television channels and introducing American TV shows such as “Dallas” to Italy and unleashing a wave of commercialization. His empire grew to include ownership of A.C. Milan, one of Italy's most successful soccer clubs.
Berlusconi can be compared to Trump for “ignoring all the norms of institutional courtesy and politeness, preposterously presenting himself as a victim of judges and electoral authorities,” Gerbaudo wrote, “while never shying away from the most vulgar and sensationalist tactics to capture public attention – including his famous penchant for sexual jokes.”
Berlusconi's state funeral is scheduled to take place Wednesday in Milan's Duomo and his body will be buried in a gigantic underground mausoleum he constructed at his estate in Arcore outside Milan.
Courthouse News reporter Cain Burdeau is based in the European Union.
Follow @cainburdeau
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