Tag: Silvio Berlusconi

Putin laments Berlusconi’s death

Blog, EU, Europe

Strasbourg 13.06.2023 MOSCOW, June 12. /TASS/. The Italian Senator Silvio Berlusconi will be honored in a state funeral in Milan cathedral on Wednesday, June 14, the Curia said.

Berlusconi was Prime Minister for nine years in total, making him the longest serving post-war Prime Minister of Italy.

President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella is expected to attend, sources said Monday, June 13.

Meanwhile, sources said Berlusconi’s body was transferred to his home at Villa San Martino in Arcore, near Milan, on Monday June 12 before being laid out for people to pay their respects starting Tuesday 13 June at the production centre of his Mediaset television empire in Cologno Monzese, ANSA news agency writes.

Berlusconi leadership skills and charisma and his ability to maintain strong and close foreign relations with both the United States and Russia was appreciated by many.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he feels deeply aggrieved over the death of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who was a true friend and person whom he held dear.

“For me, Silvio was a dear man and a true friend,” Putin said in a message of condolence to Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

“I have always sincerely admired his wisdom and his ability to make balanced, far-sighted decisions even in the most difficult situations. During each of our meetings, I was literally charged with his incredible vitality, optimism and sense of humor,” Putin shared his memories of Berlusconi. “His death is an irreparable loss and a great misfortune.”.

Putin called Berlusconi a remarkable person with whom the most significant events in Italy’s recent history were associated.

“A true patriot, Silvio Berlusconi has always put the interests of his country above everything else. Being at the helm of the Council of Ministers and holding other important governmental posts for many years, he did a great deal for the economic and social development of the country and for its firmer foothold in Europe and in the world arena,” Putin said. The Russian underlined that Berlusconi was rightly considered the patriarch of Italian politics and enjoyed high international prestige.

The President drew particular attention to the fact that Berlusconi had made a truly invaluable personal contribution to the development of mutually beneficial Russian-Italian partnership.

“In Russia, Silvio Berlusconi will be remembered as a consistent and high-principled supporter of strengthening friendly relations between our countries,” Putin believes. He asked the Italian President to “express sincere sympathy and support for Silvio’s relatives and friends.”

“I wish everyone fortitude in the face of this great loss,” Putin wrote.

Berlusconi’s death was reported by Corriere della Sera on Monday, June 12. The veteran and heavyweight of Italian politics, founder and permanent leader of the Forza Italia! (Forward, Italy!) party, who led the government three times, died at the age of 86.

Putin and Berlusconi first met at the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001. They held dozens of one-on-one business meetings over the years in politics and at various international forums in Russia and Italy and in many other countries. Putin and Berlusconi not only worked together, but were on friendly terms for more than 20 years.

Europarl: Tajani in Salvini’s shadow…

Blog, EU, Europe

With Matteo SALVINI, MEP, leaving the European Parliament (EP) to lead one of the key economies of the European Union as a prime minister, the EU Institutions face one more set back. However in this particular case with Lega Nord chair ascendance, an extra turmoil is left behind in the Europarliament. 

The incumbent president of the EP Antonio Tajani lost his bid for premiership in Italy, after a short involvement in election at the side of Silvio Berlusconi, his former boss and powerful friend. Many ask, if the EU institution head should demonstrate such a passionate involvement in national politics, ready to ditch his office in Brussels for a glimpse of hope to become a national leader, to succumb to magnetic powers of the Eternal City…

However one can’t step into the same waters twice, Tajani returned to Brussels ‘on his shield’. An initial concept to ‘civilize’ far right Lega Nord in alliance with Forza Italia is in tatters –  it is Salvini, who surfaced as a victor, returning to European Parliament “with his shield”.

And now… There is the ‘loser’ of EP president from a  party, which scored so low in the elections; roughly half of Italy is in Eurosceptic camp, and another congregation which he treated like a nuisance ascended to command. Tajani compromised himself, demonstrating his EU office is his ‘second to best choice’  to his own detriment, and what a disservice to declining European project! Vanitas vanitatum!

MEP Tajani for European Parliament President

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tajani-commissioner

The promotion of the former EU Industry top civil servant Antonio Tajani (Italy, EPP) from Barroso’s Commission to the position of the European Parliament president, once again demonstrates the failure of the institution to  renew. The civil servants becoming politicians and politicians styled into mandarins, surfing freely between  Schuman and Luxembourg squares, just hanging backdrop of the official photos, do not inspire confidence of the EU citizens, trying to figure out a raison d’être of the EU costly project, while getting increasingly confused between loyalties and separations of powers.

Nobody is going to held Antonio Tajani (63) responsable for a move of his former boss José-Manuel Barroso accepting a chairmanship at Goldman Sachs, however the maneuvering of Tajani as the Industry Commissioner to Member of the  European Parliament (MEP), with a view of ascending to the top of the latter, makes the whole intrigue look more as a part of a chess game, than a progressive political process, reflecting public interest.
Once the spokesperson of Silvio Berlusconi, Tajani made a spectacular career in the EU institutions, coming just as a replacement of a departing for a national appointment college. With zero chance to receive a second mandate as a civil servant to ‘reign’ over the EU industry while rival party gained power at home, he returned to active politics in European elections to mold into a Member of the European Parliament immediately after
the end of his mandate in the Commission.
At present a much-anticipated farewell of twice a president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz (61),(Germany, S&D) evoked European People’s Party (EPP) to claim its rights, indicating that the second mandate of Schulz was already against all the odds, because according to the  major agreement the five years Parliamentary term was divided between representatives of two biggest political groups EEP  and Socialists and Democrats.
However the double mandate of five years  of a Socialist did not become a window of opportunity to new political actors. No new generation, no new member-states, no new leaders, but the former Commission apparatchik from fading ‘Forza Italia’ party, claiming to be a brand new political group, led  by one of the most controversial figures of Italian politics, four times Prime Minister – Silvio Berlusconi (80), whose lucky star is at decline.
Reportedly Tajani is campaigning, looking for support at home and among the other political groups in the European Parliament. The situation should be clarified mid-January, because Social democrats leader Gianni Pittella (IT, S&D) does not accept EEP president bid, claiming it will ruin the fine balance among the EU institutions, leaving socialists in minority in position of leadership.
The beginning of this year a long standing leader of EP Liberals – Guy Verhofstadt (63) (ALDE, Belgium) entered the presidential race, in hope for tactical votes.
However the chances of Mr.Tajani to raise to the summit remain high, thanks to support of his own political group – the most representative in the EP.
Still it looks the idea of renewal remains foreign to the Europarl, along with the idea of gender equality  largely remaining a rhetoric exercise: since Simone Veil (1979-1982) no one women-politician ascended the president’s position, acutely no women before either.
The true impact of institutional stagnation expressed in reshuffling the very same people over and over again will be concluded at next Parliament elections, when the European citizens will come to drop their ballots, or will not come. So far last two decades the turnouts for European elections are in study decline.
#Anna van Densky