Four-times ex premier, centre-right
leader and billionaire businessman Silvio Berlusconi died at
Milan's San Raffaele hospital on Monday aged 86.
He had been admitted on Friday for what were said to be
scheduled tests related to the chronic leukemia that was
disclosed during a previous prolonged spell at the same hospital
in April and May.
Hospital sources said Berlusconi died around 9.30 am local time.
His death was breaking news on all major international online
news outlets and agencies.
The founder and leader of government coalition party Forza
Italia (FI) is to receive a state funeral, which will be
celebrated by the Archbishop of Milan, Monsignor Mario Delpini,
at Milan's cathedral on Wednesday at 3 pm.
President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella is among the
institutional representatives expected to attend.
Wednesday has also been declared a day of national mourning in
Italy, where Italian and European flags were also to be flown at
half-mast on public buildings from Monday.
Instead his body will not lie in state from Tuesday in his
Mediaset television studios in Cologno Monzese for people to pay
their respects before the funeral as originally announced due to
public order concerns.
It was not clear whether other arrangements would be made.
Deputy Premier and FI national coordinator Antonio Tajani said
on Monday the party named after Italians' rallying cry for their
national soccer team has a duty to go on after the passing of
its first and only leader.
"We have a duty, as Forza Italia, to go ahead, even though we
are wounded," said an emotional Tajani, speaking from Washington
DC shortly before heading back early to Italy for the funeral of
his mentor and friend Wednesday.
"We will do so still under his moral and spiritual leadership
and we will continue to work in the path marked out by him.
"Destiny has put me here today, in the United States, at
Arlington cemetery, a place that sums up Silvio Berlusconi's
human and political career, a place that testifies to the value
of freedom," added the foreign minister.
Italy's other deputy premier, Matteo Salvini of the right-wing
League, said Berlusconi's death will make Italian politics more
difficult.
"Silvio Berlusconi will be missed," said Salvini, who is also
transport and infrastructure minister in Premier Giorgia
Meloni's centre-right coalition.
"It will certainly be more difficult because he managed to get
everyone (in the coalition) to agree, to get everyone in synch,
to have a thought for everyone.
"We will humbly try to carry on at least a small part of his
enormous work," he said.
Premier Giorgia Meloni, meanwhile, said the
rightwing-centre-right alliance "owe it to Berlusconi not to
squabble" now that his moderating influence is no longer there,
and recalled his many phone calls, including his last, praising
her for the good jobs she is doing as Italy's first woman
premier.
Other politicians of all hues also paid tribute on Monday.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto described Berlusconi's death as
"the end of an era".
It is "a great, enormous sorrow. It leaves a huge void because
he was a great man," he said.
Lower House Speaker Lorenzo Fontana also expressed his "deep
sorrow", describing Berlusconi as an "absolute protagonist of
Italian, European and international economic, industrial and
political history".
His Senate counterpart Ignazio La Russa told Tg1 he had lost "an
older brother.
"I was a personal friend and for me he was a kind of older
brother, even if he didn't like it, because he considered me a
peer, despite being 16 years older," said La Russa.
The centre-left Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein also
expressed her party's "deepest condolences" for the passing of
Berlusconi.
"With the death of Silvio Berlusconi an era ends. Everything has
divided us and divides us from his political vision, but the
human respect to a person who was a protagonist of our country's
history remains. Deepest condolences from the Democratic Party,"
said Schlein in a statement.
Ex-premier and former European Commission President Romano Prodi
also paid tribute to Berlusconi, recalling him "as a political
leader who, during his long, intense time of public commitment,
exercised a great influence over the life of our country, having
an impact not just on the institutions, but also on the lives of
all citizens.
"I appreciated his support of the European cause, above all
because it was confirmed and reiterated in a period in which our
common European destiny was harshly and imprudently put in the
dock.
"I give my deepest condolences to his family and all his loved
ones," said Prodi.
Another ex premier and former European central banker Mario
Draghi paid homage to Berlusconi's "extraordinary initiative and
innovation".
"I express the most heartfelt condolences for the death of
Silvio Berlusconi, an absolute protagonist of Italian public
life in the last fifty years," said Draghi.
"As an entrepreneur he revolutionized the world of communication
and sports, with extraordinary initiative and innovation. As a
leader he transformed politics and was loved by millions of
Italians for his humanity and charisma. Deepest condolences go
to to his family, the employees of his group, and the Forza
Italia community," he continued
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