Italy bids farewell to former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at a funeral attended by politicians, businessmen, and mourners who chanted football chants. Berlusconi, a highly divisive figure, founded the conservative Forza Italia party and dominated Italian politics for much of the last 30 years. His funeral drew criticism and controversy, with arguments breaking out between his admirers and detractors. Berlusconi will be cremated and his ashes held in a mausoleum he built for himself and his family outside Milan.
Mourners gathered in Milan for the state funeral of Silvio Berlusconi, the scandal-ridden former Italian Prime Minister who died at the age of 86. Berlusconi's coffin was transported through the city center to Milan's gothic Duomo cathedral for the service, which drew crowds from across Italy, including Berlusconi supporters and fans of the AC Milan football team that he owned. The opulent occasion of his funeral has been contested by some, given his 2012 tax fraud conviction. Berlusconi's body is expected to be cremated at the Valenziano Panta Rei Crematorium Temple in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont.
Italy is holding a day of national mourning for former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who died in Milan this week. Berlusconi's state funeral is being held in Milan's grand cathedral, and the country is asking who will succeed him in his vast business empire and political party, Forza Italia. His oldest child, Marina, is considered the most likely to take over the family's holding company, Fininvest, but it remains to be seen whether she will continue to invest in her father's political creation. The future of Forza Italia is uncertain without its charismatic creator, and a government collapse triggered by the disintegration of one of the coalition partners does not seem unlikely.
The fate of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party is uncertain following his death, despite reassurances from his deputy, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, that the party will move forward. Forza Italia is critical to the health of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government, as it holds 8% of the vote and is key to holding up the coalition government. Berlusconi's personal hold on the party makes it vulnerable in his death, and experts say that if the party starts to disintegrate, it could affect the government. Berlusconi's eldest daughter, Marina Berlusconi, may step in to guide the party and keep it aligned with Meloni.
The future of Forza Italia, the political party founded by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, is uncertain following his death. The party has struggled in recent years and faces challenges in finding a new leader and maintaining its position in Italian politics. Berlusconi's daughter, Marina, has been suggested as a potential successor, but the party's future remains unclear.
Supporters of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gathered outside his villa near Milan to honour the billionaire who dominated Italy's politics, business and soccer world for nearly three decades. Berlusconi died on Monday aged 86, leaving behind a legacy as a highly divisive figure who set the mould for other businessmen-turned-politicians like former U.S. President Donald Trump. Italy is preparing a state funeral on Wednesday at Milan's cathedral, which is likely to attract tens of thousands of people. Berlusconi's death risks imploding his Forza Italia party, with Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party standing to gain politically.
Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire media mogul and former Italian prime minister, has died at the age of 86. Berlusconi, who transformed Italy's politics with polarising policies and often alarmed his allies with his brazen remarks, had suffered from leukaemia and recently developed a lung infection. His passing is likely to destabilise Italian politics in the coming months, and his business empire also faces an uncertain future. Berlusconi's Forza Italia party is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition.
Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian Prime Minister and leader of the Forza Italia party, has died at the age of 86. Berlusconi, who was known for his flamboyant personality and a series of political and personal scandals, served as Prime Minister for a total of nine years and was elected to the European Parliament in 2019. Despite facing charges ranging from tax evasion to corruption, he remained a prominent figure in Italian politics until his death.
Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been discharged from a Milan hospital after more than six weeks of treatment for leukaemia and a lung infection. The 86-year-old billionaire media mogul thanked God and all those who had supported him, saying he never felt alone. Berlusconi has been plagued by health issues in recent years and his career has been dogged by scandal and legal woes. Despite remaining president of Forza Italia, Berlusconi is rarely seen in public these days.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is suffering from leukaemia, has appeared in a video message from his hospital room after a month of treatment. He thanked his Forza Italia party members for their support and said he was ready to return to work. Berlusconi's latter years in power were overshadowed by sex and corruption scandals, and he remains a divisive figure in Italian politics.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been admitted to intensive care with breathing problems and is being treated for a form of leukaemia. Berlusconi, who still leads his party and is an elected senator, has had heart surgery in 2016 and contracted pneumonia in 2020 after catching Covid-19. His health has raised questions about the future of his political party, Forza Italia, and his media empire. Despite being a divisive figure in Italian politics, politicians from across the spectrum have wished him well.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been diagnosed with leukemia and is being treated in a cardiac unit of Milan’s San Raffaele hospital. The 86-year-old media mogul and billionaire has suffered from repeated health problems in recent years, including heart surgery, prostate cancer, and COVID-19. Berlusconi's Forza Italia party is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition, but he does not have a role in government. There has been no official comment on his condition, but a source close to the matter confirmed the diagnosis of leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been diagnosed with leukemia, according to a leading Italian newspaper. Berlusconi's spokesperson did not deny the reports when asked. The controversial media tycoon was hospitalized on Wednesday with breathing problems. Berlusconi returned to frontline politics in 2022 when he won a seat in Italy's Senate, representing the northern municipality of Monza. He has had a number of other health concerns, including hospitalization for Covid-19 symptoms in 2021 and heart surgery in 2016.
Former Italian Prime Minister and leader of Forza Italia party, Silvio Berlusconi, 86, is being treated in intensive care at a Milan hospital after suffering breathing problems. Berlusconi has had repeated bouts of ill-health in recent years and was hospitalized just last week. His party is part of the right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, but he does not have a role in government. Berlusconi's health has deteriorated in recent years, and he has had heart surgery in 2016, prostate cancer, and has been repeatedly admitted to hospital over the past couple of years after contracting COVID-19 in 2020.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been hospitalized in the ICU at Milan’s San Raffaele hospital due to an unresolved problem related to a previous infection. The 86-year-old is alert and speaking. Berlusconi has had a series of health problems in recent years, including recovering from COVID-19 in 2020, having a pacemaker, undergoing heart surgery, and overcoming prostate cancer. He made his latest political comeback in September 2022, winning a Senate seat a decade after being banned from holding public office over a tax fraud conviction.
