Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's will was unsealed, revealing that his two eldest children will hold equal stakes in the family holding company, while his former political adviser, Marcello Dell'Utri, will receive €30 million despite being convicted of tax fraud and complicity with the Sicilian Mafia. Berlusconi's three children from his second marriage will receive smaller shares, and his partner at the time of his death, Marta Fascina, and his brother Paolo will each receive €100 million.
Silvio Berlusconi has left control of his business empire to his eldest children, Marina and Pier Silvio, according to his will. The children, who are key executives in the Berlusconi media empire, will each take an equal stake of about 53% in the family business. The will also revealed that Berlusconi left significant amounts to his partner, younger brother, and a business associate. The announcement caused a dip in the shares of MediaForEurope (MFE), the European broadcasting business founded by Berlusconi, but Pier Silvio Berlusconi stated that a sale has never been considered.
Silvio Berlusconi, the scandal-ridden billionaire who was Italy's on-and-off prime minister for an entire generation of Italians, passed away at age 86. Berlusconi paved the political way for Donald Trump, with both presenting themselves as champions of average people who would clean up corrupt systems and clear out the elites. Berlusconi's legacy includes disastrous economic policies that enriched the already rich and opened the door to far-right forces that hold democracy anything but dear. The US interfered in Italy's 1948 parliamentary elections to prevent a left victory, which led to the rise of Berlusconi.
Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian Prime Minister who passed away recently, was often compared to former US President Donald Trump due to their similar traits. However, Berlusconi was more disciplined, loyal to Europe and the Atlantic alliance, and not as destructive or hate-filled as Trump. Despite his controversies, Berlusconi was a charismatic figure who left a lasting legacy in Italian politics.
Silvio Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister of Italy, was a lifelong optimist who believed that something good was waiting for him just around the corner. He founded Forza Italia in 1994 and won enough seats to form a government. Over the next five years, the country’s economy was further liberalized, and its defense strategy strengthened. Berlusconi's decidedly pro-American and pro-Israel stance induced him to do even more, palpably strengthening the government’s resolve to prevent terrorism.
Italy bid farewell to its flamboyant politician, Silvio Berlusconi, in a surprisingly solemn state funeral in Milan's Duomo. The funeral was attended by an A-list cast of Italian politics, finance, and media, including Berlusconi's family and his final partner, Marta Fascina. The funeral was a restrained occasion, showing how the Italian establishment had accepted Berlusconi back in his final years. His party enjoyed a 3.5 percent sympathy boost in the polls since his death was announced on Monday.
Italy's political, business, and soccer elite attended the state funeral of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi at Milan's Duomo cathedral, while thousands of admirers and soccer fans gathered outside. Berlusconi, who made billions as a media mogul and served as three-time premier, left a complicated legacy that was hotly debated. Milan Archbishop Mario Delpini acknowledged Berlusconi's successes and failures in his eulogy, while critics questioned whether he deserved a state funeral. Berlusconi's supporters praised his empathy and personal warmth, while his detractors cited his conflicts of interest, legal troubles, and questionable associations.
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.
Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was honored with a state funeral in Milan's Duomo cathedral and a day of national mourning, as his legacy was being hotly debated among Italians. Berlusconi, a media mogul, soccer entrepreneur, and three-time former premier, died at the age of 86 on Monday in a Milan hospital where he was being treated for chronic leukemia. Berlusconi's detractors' list of political damage is long, including conflicts of interest relating to his media empire, dozens of trials mostly for business dealings, revelations of sex-fueled bunga-bunga parties at his villa near Milan, and questionable associations, including his enduring friendship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Italy has declared a day of national mourning for former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who passed away on Monday. A state funeral will be held on Wednesday at Milan's Duomo cathedral, with parliamentary votes suspended for a week. The funeral is expected to be attended by current and former political leaders from across the spectrum, as well as international dignitaries. However, the decision to declare national mourning has attracted criticism from some opposition politicians who claim it was a political choice.
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.
