Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi. Photo by European People’s Party. Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi is an Italian media magnate and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy in four governments. With an estimated net worth of $8 billion, Forbes ranked him as the 190th richest man in the world in 2018. Due to his dominance of Italian politics for more than two decades as the leader of the center-right coalition, Forbes ranked him 12th on its list of the World’s Most Powerful People in 2009.

Not only that but he was the first person to become Prime Minister without having previously held any government or administrative positions. He is well-known for his populist political views and outspoken personality. Throughout his long reign, he was frequently accused of being an authoritarian leader and a strongman.

Berlusconi is still a divisive figure in the eyes of the public and political analysts. His supporters praise his charismatic leadership abilities, fiscal policy based on tax cuts, and ability to maintain strong and close foreign relations with both the United States and Russia. In general, his critics focus on his political performance and the ethics of his government practices in relation to his business holdings. The former has been accused of mismanaging the state budget, among other things.

1. Berlusconi was the owner of A.C. Milan for 31 years

A.C. Milan logo. Photo by Kkhturk011. Wikimedia Commons

It doesn’t get much more epic than landing in a helicopter to the tune of Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” On July 8, 1986, Silvio Berlusconi chose to usher in a new era at AC Milan in this manner.

The Rossoneri’s early 1980s had been extremely turbulent. The club had been relegated to Serie B twice, the first time for their involvement in the Totonero match-fixing scandal, and the second time because they simply weren’t good enough to stay up.

Berlusconi saved AC Milan from bankruptcy in February 1986, and during his ownership, the club has had some of its best seasons in its history.

His company announced the signing of a preliminary agreement to sell all of their shares in A.C. Milan to Sino- Europe Sports Investment Management, Changxing Co. Ltd. on August 5, 2016.

2. Berlusconi was Prime Minister for nine years

Silvio Berlusconi. Photo by European People’s Party. Wikimedia Commons

In January 1994, Berlusconi quickly rose to the forefront of Italian politics. Following the 1994 Italian general election, in which Forza Italia gained a relative majority only three months after its launch, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time and appointed Prime Minister.

His cabinet fell apart after nine months due to internal coalition party disagreements. Berlusconi was defeated in the 1996 Italian general election by centre-left candidate Romano Prodi. He was the centre-right candidate for Prime Minister in the 2001 Italian general election, defeating the centre-left candidate Francesco Rutelli.

Berlusconi then formed his second and third cabinets, which lasted until 2006. In the 2006 Italian general election, Berlusconi led the centre-right coalition. Berlusconi led the centre-right coalition in the 2006 Italian general election, which he lost by a razor-thin margin to Prodi once again. Following the collapse of the Prodi II Cabinet, he was re-elected in the 2008 Italian general election and sworn in for the third time as Prime Minister on May 8, 2008.

Berlusconi resigned as Prime Minister on November 16, 2011, after losing his parliamentary majority amid mounting fiscal problems related to the European debt crisis. Berlusconi led the People of Freedom and its right-wing allies in the 2013 Italian general election campaign. Although he had planned to run for a fifth term as Prime Minister, he agreed with the Lega Nord that he would instead lead the coalition without becoming Prime Minister.

He was Italy’s longest-serving postwar Prime Minister and the third longest-serving since Italian unification.

3. He sought to reform the Italian constitution

A key point in the Berlusconi government’s program was a planned reform of the Italian constitution, which Berlusconi saw as inspired by the Soviet Union, an issue on which the coalition parties initially disagreed. As a condition for remaining in the coalition, Lega Nord insisted on federalist reform.

The National Alliance party advocated for a strong premiership as a counterweight to any federalist reform, in order to preserve the nation’s integrity. The Union of Christian and Centre Democrats demanded a proportional electoral law that would not harm small parties, and was generally more willing to negotiate compromises with the opposition’s moderate wing.

Difficulties in reaching an agreement caused some internal unrest in the Berlusconi government in 2003, but they were mostly overcome, and the law, which included devolution of powers to the regions, a Federal Senate, and a strong premiership, was passed by the Senate in April 2004; it was slightly modified by the Chamber of Deputies in October 2004, and again in October 2005, before being approved by the Senate on November 16, 2005, with a narrow majority.

Without a qualified two-thirds parliamentary majority, a referendum is required to amend the Italian constitution. The referendum was held on July 25-26, 2006, and the constitutional reform was defeated, with 61.3% of voters voting against it.

4. Berlusconi was a bass player in the 1960s

Close-up photo of a person playing guitar. Photo by freestocks. Unsplash

During his university studies, he was an upright bass player in a band formed with the now- Mediaset Chairman and amateur pianist Fedele Confalonieri, and he also worked as a cruise ship crooner on occasion.

Later in life, he collaborated on the A.C. Milan anthem with Italian music producer and pop singer Tony Renis, as well as the Forza Italia anthem with opera director Renato Serio. He co-wrote two Neapolitan song albums with Mariano Apicella: Meglio ‘na canzone in 2003 and L’ultimo amore in 2006.

5. He maintained good foreign policies with key countries

Silvio Berlusconi. Photo by Niccolò Caranti. Wikimedia Commons

Despite the policy differences between the United States and many founding members of the European Union, such as Germany, France, and Belgium during the George W. Bush administration, Berlusconi and his cabinets had a strong tendency to support American foreign policies.

Under Berlusconi’s leadership, the Italian government also shifted its traditional foreign policy position from being the most pro-Arab Western government to a closer relationship with Israel and Turkey than in the past. As a result, relations between all Mediterranean countries have been rebalanced in order to achieve equal closeness.

Berlusconi is one of the most vocal supporters of Turkey’s accession to the European Union. To support Turkey’s application, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi invited Prime Minister Erdoan to attend a meeting of European leaders from Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom in L’Aquila for the 2009 G8 summit. 

With Berlusconi in charge, Italy became a staunch ally of the US, thanks to his support for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq following the 2003 invasion of Iraq in the war on terror. Berlusconi signed “The Letter of the Eight” on January 30, 2003, in support of the United States’ preparations for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

He’s a vocal supporter of closer relations between Russia and the European Union. Not only that, but Berlusconi had a cordial relationship with Putin. He accused the US, NATO, and the EU of “a ridiculously and irresponsibly sanctioning approach to the Russian Federation, which cannot but defend Ukrainian citizens of Russian origin whom it considers brothers” in September 2014. 

The two leaders frequently described their friendship as close, and they continued to organize bilateral meetings even after Berlusconi resigned in November 2011.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi signed a historic cooperation treaty in Benghazi on August 30, 2008. Italy agreed to pay Libya $5 billion in compensation for its former military occupation. In exchange, Libya would take steps to combat illegal immigration from its borders and increase investment in Italian firms. 

The treaty was ratified by the Italian government on February 6, 2009, and by Libya on March 2, 2009, during Berlusconi’s visit to Tripoli. Gaddafi paid his first visit to Rome in June, where he met Prime Minister Berlusconi, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, and Senate Speaker Renato Schifani.

6. Silvio Berlusconi was cited in the Panama Papers leak

The Panama Papers scandal broke out in April 2016; it was a leaked set of 11.5 million confidential documents that provided detailed information about over 214,000 offshore companies listed by the Panamanian corporate service provider Mossack Fonseca, including the identities of the companies’ shareholders and directors.

The documents demonstrate how wealthy people, including public officials, concealed their assets from public scrutiny. Berlusconi and his long-time A.C. Milan partner, Adriano Galliani, were named to the list.

7. Berlusconi was assaulted in a rally in Italy

After a rally in Milan’s Piazza del Duomo on December 13, 2009, Berlusconi was hit in the face with an alabaster statuette of Milan Cathedral. A man in the crowd stepped forward and launched the statuette at Berlusconi as he was shaking hands with the public.

The assailant was later apprehended and identified as Massimo Tartaglia, a 42-year-old surveyor from the outskirts of Milan with a history of mental illness but no criminal record. Tartaglia apologized for the attack in a letter. Berlusconi sustained facial injuries, a broken nose, and two broken teeth; he was hospitalized.

8. He has documentaries and movies made after him

Who would think of Silvio Berlusconi as a source of inspiration for cinema enthusiasts? Three documentaries and seven feature films have been made about him since 2003:

• Citizen Berlusconi – The Prime Minister and the Press, 2003
• Viva Zapatero!, directed by Sabina Guzzanti, 2005
• Quando c’era Silvio, documentary film directed by Beppe Cremagnani e Enrico Deaglio, 2005.
• Draquila – L’Italia che trema (directed by Sabina Guzzanti, Cannes Film Festival, 2010)
• Videocracy (directed by Erik Gandini, 2009)
• “Bye Bye Berlusconi!/Buonanotte Topolino”
• Il Caimano (directed by Nanni Moretti, 2006)
• Shooting Silvio (directed by Berardo Carboni)
• Citizen Berlusconi (directed by Andrea Cairola and Susan Gray)
• Loro (directed by Paolo Sorrentino, 2018)

9. Berlusconi has been linked to the Italian mob

Berlusconi has never been tried on charges related to the Sicilian Mafia, despite the fact that several Mafia turncoats have claimed Berlusconi had ties to the Sicilian criminal organization. The claims stem primarily from Berlusconi’s hiring of Vittorio Mangano as a gardener and stableman at his Villa San Martino in Arcore, a small town near Milan.

In 1973, Mangano was introduced to Berlusconi by his friend Marcello Dell’Utri. Berlusconi has denied any involvement with the Mafia. Marcello Dell’Utri even claimed the Mafia did not exist.

10. There’s a new term“Berlusconismo” used in Italy

The term “Berlusconismo” first appeared in the 1980s as a synonym for entrepreneurial optimism, that is, an entrepreneurial spirit that is not shaken by difficulties and believes that problems can be solved.

However, in the twenty-first century, the meaning has shifted. Berlusconismo, according to the Italian definition provided by the Encyclopedia Institute’s online vocabulary, has a wide range of meanings, all of which have their origins in the figure of Berlusconi and the political movement inspired by him: the “thought movement,”but also to “social phenomenon,”and even the phenomenon “of custom” bound to his entrepreneurial and political figure.

The term is also used to refer to a laissez-faire vision supported by him, not in the economy and markets, but in other areas.