2023-06-14 15:20:23
June 14, 2023
image copyrightAFP
Caption,
Berlusconi was the leader of the center-right Forza Italia party.
Italy bids farewell to former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with a show worthy of the great soap opera of his life.
The one-time cruise ship singer who ran Italy with no prior political experience built a media empire and had a string of wives and girlfriends.
The archbishop of Milan leads Berlusconi’s state funeral in the city’s grand cathedral on Wednesday.
Italy celebrates a day of national mourning.
All Italian and European flags on public buildings have been lowered to half mast.
This type of tribute is unprecedented for a former prime minister.
A state funeral is a privilege generally reserved for popes, war heroes and serving ministers.
image copyrightReuters
Caption,
Image of Berlusconi’s funeral.
Milan is a city deeply associated with Silvio Berlusconi: this is where he was born and began his career as a vacuum cleaner salesman.
Large screens have been installed in the main square, so that the thousands of people who have come to say their last goodbyes can follow the ceremony.
Succession
But behind the scenes a true succession story is unfolding.
During his lifetime, Berlusconi amassed a vast empire spanning the media, real estate, finance, film and sports, as well as a powerful political party that is part of Italy’s current government.
He was one of the richest men in Italy.
According to Forbes, his company’s assets are worth about $6.5 billion.
image copyrightReuters
Caption,
Marina and Luigi Berlusconi.
But he never publicly indicated who should lead his business empire after his death, and there are also big questions about the future of the Forza Italia party he created.
Berlusconi has two children from his first marriage and three from his second. They all have shares in Fininvest, his holding company.
The future of his business interests will likely depend on how he has chosen to distribute the 61% stake he held in Fininvest.
Will there be equal shares for everyone, or more for the two eldest children, Marina and Pier Silvio, who have held leading positions in the empire since the early 1990s?
image copyrightGetty Images
Caption,
A young Silvio Berlusconi with his daughters Barbara and Eleonora that he had from his second wife Veronica Lario.
Other valuable assets are undoubtedly the many luxury villas by Berlusconi.
They could be difficult to pass down to their offspring in an equitable manner.
His Villa San Martino in Arcore, northeast of Milan, is 3,500 m2 and dates from the 18th century.
He also has houses on Lake Maggiore, in Rome, in Cannes, the Caribbean and elsewhere.
The jewel in Berlusconi’s crown of properties is Villa Certosa, a Sardinian mansion he bought in the 1970s.
There he received world leaders, from Vladimir Putin to George W. Bush.
It has 126 rooms and looks like a theme park, including a fake volcano that erupts lava.
Its value is estimated at US$280 million.
image copyrightGetty Images
Caption,
His followers have brought flowers to the doors of their villas.
who joined the family
People close to the family have described Berlusconi as “the glue” that held their children together.
The big question is whether that family unit can be maintained now that Berlusconi is gone and what impact it could have on the future of his business empire.
So far there have been no disputes over who will take over the empire.
It is expected that it will fall on his eldest daughter, Marina, 56, considered the closest of the five to her father.
image copyrightGetty Images
political life
But his death could prove disastrous for the future of his political party.
Can Forza Italia survive without its charismatic creator or fall apart in a matter of months?
He was the ultimate populist leader and, unsurprisingly, the party he created was built entirely around his personality.
His right-hand man, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, has categorically denied that his future is at stake: “It is unthinkable that the party will disappear.”
However, in the general elections last September, Forza Italia reduced its votes to 8%.
Many Italians who backed the party did so because they were loyal to Berlusconi and it will be hard to name a successor they like.
In reality, party members will probably go to the Berlusconi family for a decision.
Will the two oldest, Marina and Pier Silvio, want to continue investing in their father’s political creation, or will they turn off the financial tap and cut their losses?
image copyrightGetty Images
Caption,
Pier Silvio Berlusconi directs the commercial television part of the family holding company Fininvest
Without your financial support, Forza Italia has no chance of survival.
Berlusconi heavily funded his party, reportedly pumping more than $100 million into it.
There is speculation that Marina could succeed him as leader, but for now it remains a rumor.
She is seen more as a behind-the-scenes operator.
His couple
Another unknown is who was Berlusconi’s last partner, Marta Fascina, 53 years his junior.
She is a member of her party and has said several times that “her passion is politics and she grew up with the myth of Silvio Berlusconi.”
Berlusconi’s eldest daughter reportedly blocked his plan to marry her last year.
So there’s a cloud over Fascina’s future role in the leader’s farewell.
image copyrightGetty Images
Caption,
Marta Fascina (left) is a deputy from Berlusconi’s party, which plays an important role in Giorgia Meloni’s coalition (right)
One thing is certain: if Forza Italia fractures, it would be a big problem for the other members of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition government.
Political instability looms after the day of national mourning on Wednesday.
In a country so known for its regular political crises, a government collapse triggered by the disintegration of one of the coalition partners does not seem such an unlikely scenario.
Until now, Berlusconi’s children have avoided the limelight.
But his death could force them to emerge from the shadows to take the reins of their empire.
Berlusconi had health problems for years, so it is likely that he and his children have thought about all this.
They could opt for an easy transition announced by their older sister, Marina, rather than get into a succession battle that could go wrong.
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