Silvio Berlusconi Death: Vladimir Putin, Marine Le Pen and Others Pay Tribute to the Former Italian Prime Minister

Former Italian head of government Silvio Berlusconi, sulphurous billionaire whose legal disputes and sexual escapades made headlines, died at the age of 86. Many tributes have been paid to him, in Italy as in the rest of the world, by political, media or football personalities, in the image of his multiple career. A state funeral will be held Wednesday in Milan.

“To God, Silvio”

In Italy, the current President of the Council, Giorgia Meloni, saluted the memory of “one of the most influential men in Italy” at midday. “Silvio Berlusconi was above all a fighter. He was a man who was not afraid to stand up for his beliefs and it was precisely his courage and determination that made him one of the most influential men in the history of Italy,” said the head of government in a video sent by her cabinet. Relations between these two figures have been very tense in recent months, especially on the issue of the war in Ukraine.

Putin pays tribute to a “true friend”

Internationally, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to a “dear person” and a “true friend” by describing the death of this “true patriot” as an “irreparable loss”, according to a telegram of condolences addressed to the Italian president. Sergio Mattarella.

Silvio Berlusconi had notably received him in his mega-villa in Sardinia. He had repeatedly blamed kyiv for the conflict in Ukraine, embarrassing his ally Giorgia Meloni.

Marine Le Pen salutes an “atypical character”

In France, the patron saint of deputies National Rally Marine Le Pen has hailed an “atypical character, with an extraordinary life and a dazzling career” who “undeniably marked Italian political life”.

The leader of the Les Républicains party, Éric Ciotti, greets him with a “va true monument of politics in Italy and a statesman whom he served with all his might, he was a fervent defender of the friendship between our two nations”.

Jack Lang deplores his “harmful action against Italian and European culture”

In the French left, the reactions are rare, and much more critical. Thus, the former Minister of Culture Jack Lang, if he salutes “his unequaled energy, his fighting spirit, his tactical intelligence”, says he cannot forget “the harmful action which was his against Italian and European culture”. .

“The disappearance of a man should not obscure the truth of the facts. Italian cinema was one of the greatest and finest in the world. The commercial televisions directed by him contributed to destroying it”, he continues.

“A great chain boss” for Amanda Lear

The actress and television host Amanda Lear was one of the first, in France, to react to the death of Silvio Berlusconi: “He was an excellent boss of the channel”, commented on the set of BFM TVthe one who will have worked with the man of television for many years between 1982 and 2005. Berlusconi had in fact hired her to present and animate various programs on Italian television “Canal 5” which he had launched at the very beginning of the 1980s. Amanda Lear also participated in the launch in France of the “5” in 1986, owned by Berlusconi’s media empire.

AC Milan “deeply saddened”

The management and the supporters club of AC Milan – a football club that Silvio Berlusconi bought in the early 1980s – paid him a sober tribute: “We are deeply saddened” simply mentioned the management of the club and the club of supporters in a joint statement, an hour after his death was announced.

“Infinite recognition” for Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed Monday his “infinite gratitude” to Silvio Berlusconi after the death of the former president of AC Milan who was “decisive” in his career as a player and technician. “The sadness of today does not erase the happy times spent together”, wrote on his Twitter account the former player (1987-1992) and coach (2001-2009) of the Milanese club, considered at the time as a monument of European football.

“There remains infinite gratitude to the president, but above all to an ironic, loyal, intelligent, sincere man, decisive in my adventure as a footballer first, then as a coach”, he added, concluding: “Thank you President “.

You can pay tribute to the deceased on their memorial page on the Libra Memoria site and offer your condolences to his loved ones by showing your sympathy.