Berlusconi Death Could Presage Forza Italia Struggles

Former Italian Prime Minister and head of junior coalition partner centre-right Forza Italia (FI) Silvio Berlusconi has died aged 86. While Berlosconi did not serve in the Cabinet of incumbent PM Giorgia Meloni he remained an important figure in directing FI policy, and over the past two years was sometimes at odds with Meloni over what the Italian gov'ts stance towards the Russian invasion of Ukraine should be.

• Berlusconi, who previously boasted of his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was viewed as in favour of a less hard-line approach with regards to sanctions being imposed by the EU compared to Meloni who has consistently backed Brussels' escalating rounds of sanctions.
• Given Berlusconi's outsized personality and the loyalty he personally garnered from a section of the electorate, there is no guarantee that FI will be able to maintain its (albeit low) level of public support without the party's long-term figurehead.
• The senior-most FI figure in the Meloni cabinet is Deputy PM and Minister for Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani. He is seen as the frontrunner to take over the party leader as he currently serves as party vice-president. It is unclear whether he will have the personal authority to hold the party's various wings together as Berlusconi previously managed.