Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi (born September 29, 1936, Milan, Italy—died June 12, 2023, Milan) was an Italian media tycoon who served three times as prime minister of Italy (1994, 2001–06, and 2008–11).

Early life and first term as prime minister

After graduating from the University of Milan with a degree in law, Berlusconi became a real-estate developer, amassing a considerable fortune by the 1970s. He created the cable television firm Telemilano in 1974 and four years later mounted the first direct challenge to the national television monopoly. In 1980 he established Canale 5, Italy’s first commercial television network, and by the end of the decade Berlusconi-created stations dominated Italian airwaves. Berlusconi also diversified his business holdings, acquiring department stores, movie theatres, publishing companies, and the AC Milan football team. He consolidated his empire under the umbrella of the Fininvest holding company, a vast conglomerate that grew to control more than 150 businesses.

In 1994 Berlusconi founded Forza Italia (“Go, Italy!”), a conservative political party, and was elected prime minister. His tenure proved turbulent. Shortly after he took office in May 1994, officials launched a corruption investigation into his business empire, and disputes within the governing coalition culminated in the Lega Nord (Northern League) party’s defection in December. Facing a no-confidence vote, Berlusconi announced his resignation on December 22, 1994, but stayed on in a caretaker capacity until January 1995. He was later convicted of fraud and corruption, but the verdicts were eventually overturned. Despite these charges and criticism of his control of much of the Italian media, he remained the leader of Forza Italia. Promising tax cuts, more jobs, and higher pensions, he led a centre-right coalition to victory in the 2001 national parliamentary elections and again became prime minister.

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Second and third terms and scandals

Once in office, Berlusconi faced a number of challenges. He supported the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, and his decision to send troops became increasingly unpopular, especially after an Italian intelligence agent was killed by U.S. forces in 2005. Berlusconi also faced criticism as the country’s economy continued to struggle. After his coalition fared poorly in regional elections in 2005, Berlusconi resigned and won a vote of confidence in parliament. He subsequently formed a new government. In April 2006 he ran for reelection, but his coalition was defeated by a centre-left bloc headed by Romano Prodi. Berlusconi challenged the results, and an Italian court later upheld Prodi’s victory. Berlusconi resigned in May. Less than two years later, however, Prodi stepped down after losing a confidence vote. In the national elections held in April 2008, Berlusconi—at the helm of a new party known as the People of Freedom (Popolo della Libertà; PdL)—won a third term as prime minister. He and his centre-right cabinet took office in May.

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In 2009 Berlusconi became embroiled in sex scandals, including allegations of involvement with a teenage model. Amid the furor, Berlusconi’s second wife, Veronica Lario, filed for divorce, though the prime minister had denied any improper behaviour and blamed his political enemies for spreading malicious rumours. Later that year Italy’s Constitutional Court struck down a 2008 law that had granted the prime minister immunity from prosecution while in office. The ruling meant that Berlusconi could be tried on outstanding corruption and tax-fraud charges before his term ended. Continuing disagreements between Berlusconi and Gianfranco Fini, president of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies, caused Fini and his supporters to leave the PdL in July 2010. Nevertheless, Berlusconi’s government survived parliamentary votes of confidence in August, September, and December, though the last was by a margin of only three votes in the lower house. In February 2011 he was ordered to stand trial for allegedly soliciting sex from a 17-year-old prostitute and abusing his power in the subsequent cover-up. The trial opened in April 2011, but it was promptly adjourned, as the Italian constitutional court considered whether the case against Berlusconi would be allowed to proceed.

While Italy’s economy floundered amid the euro zone debt crisis, Berlusconi’s behaviour, especially his public feud with finance minister Giulio Tremonti, began to directly affect the country’s international standing. Citing a lack of political will to reform the economy, in September 2011 the ratings agency Standard & Poor’s cut Italy’s sovereign credit rating and downgraded its economic outlook to negative. Berlusconi experienced a brief uptick in domestic popularity in October 2011—with even opposition politicians rallying to his defense—when German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy publicly expressed doubt about Berlusconi’s ability to enact substantive economic reforms. On November 8, 2011, Berlusconi effectively lost his majority in parliament on a budget vote that was widely interpreted as an unofficial vote of confidence. Umberto Bossi, head of the Northern League, Berlusconi’s main coalition partner, urged the embattled prime minister to step down. That same day, after meeting with Italian Pres. Giorgio Napolitano, Berlusconi announced that he would resign as soon as parliament approved his proposed budget reforms. Final approval came on November 12, and Berlusconi resigned hours later.

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