Silvio Berlusconi, former Italian prime minister, dies aged 86

The former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has died at the age of 86 after a short illness at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.

The media tycoon and leader of Forza Italia served for nine years over three spells as prime minister with the last ending in 2011, making him Italy’s longest-serving post-war leader.

He had been suffering from leukaemia “for some time” and had recently developed a lung infection.

He returned to the hospital last Friday after a long hospitalisation from 5 April with a lung infection stemming from leukaemia ended a few weeks ago. He also suffered over the years from heart ailments, prostate cancer and was hospitalized for Covid-19 in 2020.

Italy’s minister, Guido Crosetto, said Mr Berlusconi’s death had left “a great, enormous pain” and a “huge void”.

He added on Twitter: “An era is over, an era is closing. I love him very much. Goodbye Silvio.”

Mr Berlusconi did not follow a strict ideological line as leader but came to be associated with right-wing populism, favouring low taxation and cutting government bureaucracy.

Much of his career was plagued by scandals, most infamously the “bunga bunga” parties attended by young models and prostitutes.

In 2013, the former leader was convicted of paying an underage prostitute and sentenced to seven years in jail. But the sentence was delayed by legal wrangling.

Mr Berlusconi was also given a three-year jail sentence for bribery in 2015, but evaded that as the statute of limitations expired.

He is survived by girlfriend Marta Fascina, 32, and five children.

This story is being updated