Silvio Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister of Italy, died at the age of 86 in the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, according to Italian media.
Berlusconi was hospitalized last week, after spending 45 days in the hospital last month with a lung infection. Berlusconi, the leader of the Forza Italia party, was admitted to hospital for “unknown conditions”, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
The BBC reminds that Berlusconi was treated in April for a lung infection, which is related to chronic leukemia, which was not detected before.
Berlusconi was first appointed prime minister of Italy in 1994 and led the government for four terms, until 2011.
He was one of the richest men in Italy with assets estimated by the American magazine “Forbes” at 6.4 billion euros.
Despite a series of scandals and court cases that tarnished his reputation, Berlusconi was still beloved by Italians.
He used his television and great wealth to launch a long political career. For those who admired him, the former prime minister was a capable and charismatic statesman who strove to elevate Italy on the world stage. For critics, he was a populist who threatened to undermine democracy by using political power as a means to enrich himself and his business, according to the AP agency.
He led the center-right Forza Italia party, which entered into a coalition with current Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni after the elections in September, when Berlusconi was elected to the Senate – the Upper House of the Italian Parliament.
His friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has put him at odds with Prime Minister Meloni, who is a staunch supporter of Ukraine.
Reacting to the news of his death, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Berlusconi’s death left a “big void”.
“An era is over. Goodbye Silvio,” Crosetto wrote in a Twitter message.
Silvio Berlusconi was born in 1936 in Milan. He started his career selling vacuum cleaners, before founding a construction company. He became one of the richest men in Italy, getting rich through his television shows.
He gained international recognition as the owner of the legendary football club AC Milan, which he saved from bankruptcy in 1986 before entering politics.
