A life of ups and downs

Silvio Berlusconi, the seasoned politician , brilliant businessman, and Italian media mogul, passed away on June 12th at the age of 86 in Milan, Italy. His life was a long series of ups and downs, full of fascination and drama.

Cố Thủ tướng Italy Silvio Berlusconi (1936-2023). (Nguồn: Getty Images)

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (1936-2023). (Source: Getty Images)

Silvio Berlusconi was born in 1936 into a middle-class family in Milan. He graduated with honors in Law from the University of Milan in 1961, started his empire in construction, then moved into media and finance, and entered politics when he was nearly 60 years old.

A shrewd politician

Having served as Prime Minister three times for a total of nine years (1994-1995, 2001-2006, and 2008-2011), Berlusconi was Italy's longest-serving Prime Minister since World War II.

He began his political career in January 1994, at the age of 58. Despite entering politics relatively late, billionaire Berlusconi rose through the ranks at a dizzying pace. He was elected Prime Minister of Italy on his first election attempt in March 1994, with his Forza Italia party winning a resounding victory just months after its founding. However, he was forced to resign after seven months due to internal conflicts, accusations, and judicial investigations into his business dealings.

In 2001, he returned to politics with a victory in that year's election and became Prime Minister for the second time, serving a five-year term. In 2005, Prime Minister Berlusconi had to dissolve his cabinet to form a new government , ending his term a year later.

He went on to win the chancellorship for a third time in 2008 but lost his position in 2011 when the debt crisis in the EU and Italy reached its peak. At that time, he accused the leaders of France, Germany, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and several other global powers and financial institutions of pressuring him to resign for refusing a loan from the IMF. He argued that the loan amounted to "selling out the country to the IMF."

In 2012, Berlusconi was charged with tax fraud and corruption, banned from politics, and sentenced to prison. However, due to his age, he was released on bail to perform a year of community service at a nursing home near his luxurious mansion in the suburbs of Milan. In 2015, he was again convicted for bribing a senator in connection with the overthrow of the center-left government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi seven years earlier.

Despite his personal legal troubles and the decline of his Forza Italia party, billionaire Berlusconi returned to the political stage after the ban on his activities was lifted ahead of the 2018 elections. He was elected to the European Parliament at the age of 83 in May 2019 and to the Italian Senate in 2020.

Politician Berlusconi held views supportive of American policies. Despite public opinion and domestic opposition, he sent troops to participate in the US-led war in Iraq in March 2003. Relations between Italy and Israel and Turkey also warmed under Prime Minister Berlusconi.

He was one of the strongest advocates in Rome for closer ties between Russia and the EU, even suggesting Moscow join the EU and asserting that "this is not too far-fetched a dream." He had a warm personal relationship with Russian President Putin, and the two continued to meet after Putin resigned in 2011.

But this billionaire politician often had strained relations with France, Germany, and other close European allies. In July 2003, he caused a stir when he told the European Parliament that German lawmaker Martin Schulz resembled a guard in a Nazi concentration camp. Although the Italian leader reiterated that he was "just joking," the highly sensitive comparison caused a turbulent period in relations between Rome and Berlin.

A shrewd businessman

The son of a banker, he showed a knack for business early on by doing his classmates' homework and then charging them. After a stint as a singer on cruise ships, he embarked on business ventures in the 1960s with a series of real estate projects during Italy's booming economy.

By the 1980s, Berlusconi had emerged as a television mogul. His blend of quiz shows, American films, cartoons, and home-style entertainment, combined with eye-catching commercials featuring scantily clad flight attendants, breathed new life into Italian entertainment. This innovative approach to television generated enormous profits for Berlusconi's media companies.

Berlusconi was also a passionate football fan and made a fortune from the sport. He bought AC Milan in 1986 when the club was on the verge of bankruptcy and relegation. In 31 years under Berlusconi's ownership, AC Milan won more titles than the previous 80 years combined, including five Ballon d'Or winners: Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, George Weah, Andriy Shevchenko, and Kaka. AC Milan won 8 Scudettos, 1 Coppa Italia, 7 Italian Super Cups, 5 Champions League titles, 2 Intercontinental Cups, 5 UEFA Super Cups, and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. This is an achievement unmatched by any other club owner to date.

However, in 2017, seeing that AC Milan's golden age was over, he sold it to a Chinese owner. He then bought AC Monza and led the club from Serie C to Serie A in just four years.

With a love for and talent for music, Berlusconi was a singer on cruise ships when he was young. This love for music has always burned within him, and that's why he was able to compose several romantic songs while recovering from an injury in the hospital in 2009.

Forbes magazine once ranked Berlusconi as the 90th richest person in the world, and second in Italy, with a net worth of $9.4 billion. He is the founder and principal shareholder of Fininvest, one of Italy's 10 largest private companies, operating in the media and finance sectors. He owns three of the seven national television channels and many of the country's most important newspapers.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: "Silvio Berlusconi was, above all, a warrior; he was a man who never hesitated to defend his beliefs. It was this courage and determination that made him one of the most influential figures in Italian history in recent years."

Talented but flawed

According to the Financial Times, throughout his political career, Berlusconi frequently made statements and took actions that showed he was indifferent to the rule of law. Critics consistently viewed him as a dangerous individual who used money to buy power and manipulate political and judicial processes.

Like former US President Donald Trump and many other prominent politicians around the world, he has millions of supporters and admirers, but also many who are outraged by his scandalous behavior as a public figure. However, Berlusconi has always considered himself an independent man, fighting for liberal values and fair competition.

Fedele Confalonieri, chairman of Mediaset, a media company owned by the former Prime Minister, said, “He is an anomaly. He may be a ‘king’ in some areas and at certain times, but as a democratic politician, he is clearly an anomaly.”

Throughout his tumultuous life, Berlusconi has been embroiled in numerous scandals. One of them was the alleged "sex party" at his private villa near Milan. There, he was accused of seducing underage girls, leading to a conviction and his resignation as Prime Minister in 2011. Although he was later exonerated on the grounds that he had "paid" for sex with a teenage Moroccan belly dancer known as "Ruby, the heartbreaker."

Following this scandal, Veronica Lario, his second wife, divorced him. Berlusconi has three children with Veronica Lario and two children with his first wife, Carla Dal'Oglio.

In March 2022, billionaire Berlusconi once again caused a stir when he announced a "ceremonial" wedding with his wife, Marta Fascina, a Member of Parliament 53 years his junior. The ceremony looked very much like a wedding, but at that time, the two were not legally married due to a dispute between their families. Berlusconi's five children said they felt "offended" by their father's intention to marry. They believed the wedding would allow Fascina to acquire the former Prime Minister's fortune of over £5 billion.

Following the announcement of Mr. Berlusconi's death, Italian politicians, both allies and rivals, expressed their condolences, emphasizing the former Prime Minister's influence on the country. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated: “Silvio Berlusconi was above all a warrior; he was a man who never hesitated to defend his beliefs. It was this courage and determination that made him one of the most influential figures in Italian history in recent years. We fought alongside him, through victories and defeats, many battles. Because of him, we will bring back to Italy the goals we set together.”

Meanwhile, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who holds a non-partisan view, said that Berlusconi "changed Italian politics and was loved by millions of Italians for his kindness and charisma."

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