![]() ![]() When it was upheld by Italy’s top criminal court in 2013, he was stripped of his Senate seat, and banned from public office for several years in keeping with anti-corruption laws. Ultimately, only one charge would stick - tax fraud, stemming from a film rights deal. Investigations targeted the tycoon’s steamy parties involving young women and minors, or his businesses, which included the soccer team AC Milan, the country’s three biggest private TV networks, magazines and a daily newspaper, and advertising and film companies. To critics, he was a populist who threatened to undermine democracy by wielding political power as a tool to enrich himself and his businesses.īut there was no arguing he radically changed Italian politics when he entered the public arena in the 1990s, introducing U.S.-inspired campaigns.įor a while, Berlusconi seemed untouchable.Ĭriminal cases against him were launched but ended in dismissals when statutes of limitations ran out in Italy’s slow-moving justice system, or he was victorious on appeal. Supporters saw him as a capable and charismatic statesman who sought to elevate Italy on the world stage. ![]() Once Italy’s richest man, Berlusconi used his television networks and other media holdings to launch his long political career, inspiring both loyalty and loathing. A state funeral will be held Wednesday in the city’s Duomo cathedral, according to the Milan Archdiocese. Berlusconi held no position in the government, and his death is unlikely to have any repercussions on the stability of the government allies have already declared their intention to keep the party going.īerlusconi was admitted to the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan on Friday, his second recent hospitalization for treatment of chronic leukemia. His Forza Italia political party lost much of its support in recent years but was a coalition partner with current Premier Giorgia Meloni, a far-right leader who came to power in 2022. ![]()
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