MILAN – Italy’s political, business and soccer elite bade farewell to former Premier Silvio Berlusconi with a state funeral inside Milan’s imposing Duomo cathedral on Wednesday, while thousands of ordinary admirers and soccer fans waved banners and chanted in the piazza outside.
It was a fitting send-off for a man who made billions as a media mogul, upended the Italian political system as three-time premier and championed two winning soccer clubs.
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But even as Italians overwhelmingly agree that Berlusconi has left the greatest mark on Italy over four decades of business and politics, not all think it was for the best. It was a judgement that shadowed him even in death, as both his legacy and the pomp surrounding his funeral were hotly debated.
Milan Archbishop Mario Delpini didn’t gloss over Berlusconi’s complicated legacy in his punchy eulogy, saying he was a businessman who found success and failure, a politician who won and lost, and a notoriety-seeking personality who had admirers and detractors, “those who applaud him and those who detest him.”
“But in this moment of farewell and prayer, what can we say about Silvio Berlusconi? He has been a man: a desire for life, a desire for love, a desire for joy,” Delpini said. “He is a man, and now he meets God.”
Mourners inside the cavernous Gothic-era cathedral rose to their feet as Berlusconi’s coffin, bedecked in red and white roses, was pushed down the main nave to the altar to haunting choral music. Their applause quickened as it reached the altar, trailed by his children and companion, who openly wept.
The pews were filled with three ex-premiers, none of them Berlusconi allies; Italy’s president, Premier Giorgia Meloni, whose government relies on the support of Berlusconi's party, along with their third coalition partner, League leader Matteo Salvini and a host of ministers past and present. Captains of industry also paid their respects, as did representatives from the soccer world he loved.
With Berlusconi out of power for more than a decade, just two heads of government attended the funeral: Hungarian President Viktor Orban and Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
One of his closest remaining allies on the international scene, Russian President Vladimir Putin, offered heartfelt condolences from Moscow. Other nations sent ambassadors to the funeral organized just two days following his death Monday after being hospitalized for treatment of chronic leukemia.
Critics challenged whether Berlusconi deserved a state funeral, an honor that can be bestowed on former heads of state, or the more rarely invoked national day of mourning that saw flags flying at half-staff and canceled all political activity not related to charity.
“Berlusconi split Italy, he insulted adversaries for 30 years, he criminalized the magistrates and he didn’t recognize laws. What are we talking about?″ journalist Marco Travaglio, a long-time Berlusconi critic and co-founder of the il Fatto Quotidiano daily, told private La7 TV on Tuesday.
Berlusconi’s detractors’ list of political damage is long, including conflicts of interest relating to his media empire, dozens of trials mostly for business dealings, revelations of sex-fueled bunga-bunga parties at his villa near Milan and questionable associations, including his enduring friendship with Putin.
“He is not a leader who helped us grow,’’ said Beppe Severgnini, a long-time foreign correspondent and writer for Corriere della Sera. “He tapped all of our weaknesses: moral, fiscal, sexual, everything.”
But critics, including some in the political opposition, stayed away from the funeral, while thousands of admirers filled the central piazza. They included fans of the clubs Berlusconi nurtured, AC Milan and AC Monza, who waved enormous banners as Berlusconi’s casket entered the cathedral. As it exited, they chanted affectionately: “Berlusconi is one of us."
Barbara Cacellari, a councilwoman in the central Italian town of Bolognola and one-time Forza Italia candidate for the European Parliament, said protests over how to officially mark Berlusconi’s death showed a lack of respect.
“The person must be respected per se. He is a person who represents the history of this country,” she said outside the cathedral, adding: “No one is without stains, I think.”
Berlusconi, who had an outsized impact on Italian politics for three decades in his role as leader of the center-right Forza Italia party, is widely recognized as a precursor to the type of populist politics that later would bring Donald Trump to power in the United States. Both used their high profile as businessmen to springboard into the political arena, reordering the political status quo along the way.
Supporters of Berlusconi’s legacy cite his success in unifying the Italian center-right after the collapse of the post-war political landscape with the 1990s “Clean Hands” corruption scandal. They also see his years as leader as periods of stabilization after years of quickly rotating governments while admiring his bold rule-breaking and irreverence, perhaps especially in the face of other global leaders.
Many mourners inside the cathedral and out in the piazza alike were motivated to pay their respects by Berlusconi’s famous empathy and personal warmth, which even critics recognized as one of his greatest gifts.
Forza Italia Mayor Luca Veggian of Carate Brianza, near Milan, said Berlusconi had invited him to his villa just 12 days ago to congratulate him on his success in recent city administration elections, winning the most votes for Forza Italia in any contest. The 39-year-old mayor credited Berlusconi with mentoring a new generation of political leaders now running small cities throughout Italy.
“We saw he was physically tried,’’ Veggian said. “But he was very lucid and spoke at length about international politics” during the three-hour meeting.
For retiree Carmen Panzuto, it was Berlusconi’s personal greetings to her mother on her 100th birthday, two years ago.
“He will be in our hearts forever,’’ said Panzuto, who wore Italy’s national azzurro blue in a show of patriotism. “He was generous with everyone.”
Berlusconi was given a final salute by members of the Italian armed forces. The presidential guard carried out a wreath, followed by carabinieri in ceremonial regalia flanking the casket.
Berlusconi’s companion, 33-year-old Forza Italia lawmaker Marta Fascina, kissed the coffin before it was driven away to the Milan suburb of Arcore, where he was to be laid to rest. And his children from two marriages waved to the crowd, telling them: “Thank you for your affection.”
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Associated Press writers Andrea Rosa and Luigi Navarra in Milan and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed.