Since his death, much has been said about the personality of Silvio Berlusconi, his outbursts, his legal setbacks or his various and varied scandals, at the risk of obscuring the strictly political dimension of the character who engendered Berlusconism. This neologism marks a major break in Italian post-1945 history, initiated by the January 26, 1994 video in which Berlusconi announced his entry into politics.
At the time, the political system was in the process of decomposition or change, under the effect of the fall of the Berlin wall, which had direct repercussions in the peninsula containing the largest communist party in Western Europe, and the “Clean hands” operation of the Milanese judges. Which brought to light the extent of the corruption of the parties of government, which aggravated their divorce from public opinion, which began nearly a decade ago. This veritable earthquake brought about the end of the partitocracy, characterized by the disproportionate power of the parties which had colonized the institutions.
The Italians were looking for novelty, especially as their economic and social situation deteriorated. Various actors offered their services: the Italian Communist Party had renounced its communist identity in 1991 and became a party of the reformist left; the Northern League, populist and regionalist, demanded the autonomy and even the independence of the rich “Padania” [la région du Pô] ; the Italian Social Movement (MSI), a neo-fascist party, sought a power it had never exercised. Finally, precisely, came Silvio Berlusconi, the outsider.
watered down fascism
He revolutionized communication by using his television channels at full speed, by addressing Italians directly, by resorting to simple, simplifying, often outrageous language, by remodeling his own body in order to symbolize dynamism and cultivate the myth of eternal youth.
As a leader, he wanted to be a populist-style antipolitics eager to show his difference from the clic politicians, whom he castigated, hence his pions, his antics, his provocations, his gravelly jokes. But he also claimed to be an outstanding politician, Italy’s greatest statesman since its unity. Silvio Berlusconi founded Forza Italia, a personal party, initially linked to his own company, which existed only through him and differed from traditional formations.
He knew how to use his personality, his financial resources as a billionaire and his media empire to exploit the potential of a new voting system and build a coalition which, under his leadership, ociated the Northern League and the neo-fascists with Forza Italia. This group won three times, in 1994, 2001 and 2008, sparking heated controversy: the Northern League, which threatened Italian unity, and the neo-fascists entered the government, while the Constitution is based on anti-fascism.
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