Both adversaries and allies are united in their commemoration of the death of Silvio Berlusconi, the longest-serving postwar prime minister of Italy, a figure as controversial as he was influential.
Berlusconi, a billionaire media mogul and former AC Milan owner, led Italy at the helm of his own political party, Forza Italia, and his legacy is marked by perseverance in the face of scandal and adversity.
Berlusconi’s death came at the age of 86, following treatment for a lung infection linked to chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia.
His death occurred at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan, a city deeply intertwined with his own legacy.
Silvio Berlusconi : A Life Lived in the Spotlight
Born into a middle-class family in 1936, Silvio Berlusconi commenced his career in property development before founding Mediaset, Italy’s largest commercial broadcaster.
As the knight on his own chessboard, he formed Forza Italia in 1993, stepping into the political arena as traditional right-wing parties crumbled.
