FORMER Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has died on the age of 86.
The scandal-hit billionaire media mogul – well-known for his infamous “bunga bunga” events – was dashed to Milan‘s San Raffaele Hospital on Friday.
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He had been affected by leukaemia “for a while” and lately developed a lung an infection.
The Forza Italia chief was admitted to hospital last week for what his aides stated have been pre-planned checks associated to his sickness.
However it got here simply three weeks after he was discharged following a six-week keep on the identical hospital – throughout which era docs discovered he had a uncommon sort of blood most cancers and he underwent intensive remedy.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stated Berlusconi’s loss of life leaves a “large void”.
“I cherished him very a lot. Farewell Silvio,” Crosetto stated.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described him as “a terrific man and a terrific Italian”.
Whereas it is too quickly for particulars of the funeral, Berlusconi constructed a grand Pharaoh-inspired marble mausoleum at his villa in Arcore, close to Milan, for his household and associates after they die.
His loss of life follows a sequence of health scares lately.
Regardless of being re-elected to the Senate final yr, he was not often seen in public.
Again in April, Berlusconi reportedly spent four days at the same Milan hospital for heart problems.
The politician shared a tweet on the time thanking folks for his or her concern alongside a snap of him smiling at residence.
“I’ve already returned to work on the primary themes of as of late, prepared and decided to commit myself, as I all the time have, to the nation I like,” he wrote.
And he was hospitalised for Covid-related pneumonia in September 2020 and admitted for problems stemming from the virus within the following yr.
He was compelled to endure open coronary heart surgical procedure in 2016 and surgical procedure on his gut three years later.
The four-time prime minister, who was fitted with a pacemaker, additionally overcame prostate cancer.
However his time in workplace wasn’t with out controversy, because the party-loving former chief was well-known for his intercourse scandals and eyebrow-raising jokes.
Berlusconi – who was in a relationship with Forza Italia MP Marta Fascina, 33 – held lavish “bunga bunga” bashes at his villa.
PLAYBOY PM
He was accused, however later acquitted, of paying younger ladies for “silence and lies” surrounding the notorious gatherings, which he all the time insisted have been merely elegant dinners.
However friends claimed they have been in truth wild intercourse events with “orgies”, the place ladies stripped and carried out “raunchy pole dances”.
The ex-PM, who beforehand described himself because the “Jesus Christ of politics”, additionally landed himself in sizzling water in 2010.
It was alleged that the lothario had abused his place of energy to guard a younger Moroccan nightclub dancer who was arrested.
Police detained Karima El-Mahroug, recognized by her stage title ‘Ruby the Coronary heart Stealer’, for theft – however she was launched after Berlusconi claimed she was the niece of then Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
He was charged with paying her for intercourse when she was simply 17 and was discovered responsible, till he was acquitted in 2014.
An appeals court docket dominated there was no proof he knew El-Mahroug was a minor.
Berlusconi proved previous habits died laborious after promising his Monza players a “bus full of prostitutes” final yr in the event that they beat AC Milan or Juventus.
The 86-year-old owned AC Milan between 1986 and 2017.
After taking up the staff, Milan received three Champions Leagues, eight Serie A titles and a Coppa Italia.
And he additionally stood resolutely by his previous buddy Putin – regardless of his invasion of Ukraine.
“Putin for my birthday despatched me 20 bottles of vodka and a really candy letter,” he stated in October final yr.
“I replied with bottles of Lambrusco and an equally candy letter.”
In 2013, Berlusconi was briefly banned from politics after a conviction of tax fraud.
He served a neighborhood sentence and muscled his means again into the highlight earlier than being re-elected as a senator in 2022.
The billionaire served as Italy’s prime minister on three events, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011.
He stepped down for the final time in 2011 as Italy got here near a Greece-style debt disaster.
Berlusconi was first married in 1965 to Carla DallOglio, and their two youngsters, Marina and Piersilvio, maintain high positions in his enterprise empire.
He married his second spouse, Veronica Lario, in 1990, they usually had three youngsters – Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi.
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