The Italian government has declared Wednesday, the day of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's funeral, a national day of mourning. Thousands of Italians came to Milan to bid farewell to the country's three-time prime minister.
A representative of the Italian government earlier said all Italian and European Union flags on public buildings would be lowered to half-mast nationwide after the former prime minister died in Milan's San Raffaele Hospital Monday (June 12).
Berlusconi has been suffering ill health in his final years, from undergoing heart surgery in 2016 to being infected with COVID-19 in 2020 to his final leukemia diagnosis in 2022.
The state funeral for Berlusconi took place in Milan Cathedral, as earlier confirmed by the Archdiocese of Milan.
He was survived by his 33-year-old partner Marta Fascina, two ex-wives, and five children, who are now running their father's $7 billion business empire.
Berlusconi's Legacy
During his lifetime, Berlusconi was a divisive figure in Italian society and might remain so beyond the grave. While no longer in power, he served as an elder statesman in the Italian Senate and head of the Forza Italia party until his death. Forza Italia is the smallest of the three-party coalition government of current prime minister Giorgia Meloni. She gave tribute to her predecessor in office, saying Berlusconi will be remembered in their country's history.
"Berlusconi was...a fighter," she said. "He was a man who was not afraid to defend his convictions, and it was precisely that courage and determination which made him one of the most influential men in Italy's history."
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Berlusconi a "true friend," saying his death was an "irreparable loss" to Italy, a sentiment echoed by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban and his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Beyond his three terms as prime minister between 1994 and 2011, Berlusconi was a media and sporting mogul, which kept him in the headlines even in his final years due to a tax fraud conviction.
His profile was similar to that of former US president Donald Trump, while his antics in Italian media could be compared to former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.
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