Italy holds state funeral for former Prime Minister Berlusconi

Italian officials held a state funeral for former Prime Minister Berlusconi in Milan with thousands of people attending.

Mourners lined the streets of Milan on June 14 for former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's funeral. They clapped and waved as Berlusconi's coffin was carried from his residence to the Gothic Duomo cathedral.

After Mr Berlusconi's coffin was carried into the cathedral, attendees watched the funeral service presided over by Archbishop Mario Delpini on a large screen in the square.

"In this moment of farewell and prayer, what can we say about Silvio Berlusconi? He was a man who yearned for life, love and joy," Archbishop Delpini said.

Former Prime Minister Berlusconi passed away on June 12 at the age of 86 after battling a rare form of leukemia. Mr. Berlusconi served as Prime Minister of Italy three times in 1994-1995, 2001-2006 and 2008-2011, with a total of 9 years in power.

After Mr. Berlusconi's death, Italian government buildings flew flags at half-mast in his memory. The Italian parliament suspended its activities for three days, and the government announced a state funeral for Mr. Berlusconi. This is the first time Italy has held a state funeral for a former prime minister.

A procession carries the coffin of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi after his funeral in Milan, Italy on June 14. Photo: AFP — A procession carries the coffin of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi after his funeral in Milan, Italy on June 14. Photo: *AFP*

Lucia Diele, 30, a supporter of former Prime Minister Berlusconi, said he was "the greatest politician in Italian history". "He left a huge void that cannot be filled. Giorgia Meloni was a great Prime Minister, but no one can replace Silvio," she said.

Amateur photographer Gianfranco Diletta, 65, said he attended Berlusconi's funeral because he wanted to "immortalize this popular phenomenon", even though he did not support the former Italian prime minister. "I never voted for Berlusconi," Mr Diletta said.

Born in 1936 into a middle-class family in Milan, Berlusconi graduated from university with a law degree in 1961. He built his career in construction before moving into media and finance. In 1986, he bought AC Milan and saved them from bankruptcy.

Forbes magazine once ranked Mr. Berlusconi as the 188th richest person in the world with a fortune of 6.2 billion USD. In 1993, Mr. Berlusconi founded the Forza Italia party and became one of the most famous politicians in Italian history.

Mr Berlusconi has supported many US policies, as well as closer ties with Israel and Türkiye. He is also one of the advocates for closer ties between the European Union (EU) and Russia, and has a close personal relationship with President Vladimir Putin.

Former Prime Minister Berlusconi has heart problems and fainted during a speech in 2006 and had to be fitted with a pacemaker. He has also been treated for prostate cancer and had heart valve replacement surgery. His health has been deteriorating since 2016.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP )

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