Flickr / paz.ca
On June 12th, the Italian ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi passed away in Milan at the age of 86. The founder of the "Forza Italia" party was the longest serving prime minister in the history of the Italian Republic since 1946. He holds this record even though he only began his political career at the age of 58. With "Forza Italia" he also entered European politics as part of the EPP. His influence on politics lasted until his death, as he was still leader of his party and thus part of the government in office. But there is also this other side of his life for which he is known all over the world - his populism and scandals. In the end, this important Italian politician polarised a lot: he was loved by one part of Italians and disliked by another. Silvio Berlusconi was undoubtedly a defining politician of our time. Not only in Italy, but also in Germany and many other countries, he will remain in memory for a long time to come.