Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, nicknamed “the immortal” for his longevity in politics, is in “stable” condition this Thursday, the day after his hospitalization, but there is great concern because he is suffering from leukemia.
“We are all very worried. I hope he has the strength to resist this latest blow that has a sinister name, leukemia,” said Deputy Culture Minister Vittorio Sgarbi, a friend of Silvio Berlusconi. The Corriere della SeraItaly’s leading daily and generally considered highly informed, also reported that he had been diagnosed with leukemia.
Paolo Russo, Berlusconi’s spokesman, assured for his part that he was not authorized to provide information on the state of health of the leader of the conservative Forza Italia party, a member of the ruling coalition, limiting himself to saying that “Il Corriere della Sera is the most respected of Italy”.
Hospitalized since Wednesday
The 86-year-old media mogul and senator, who has been in and out of hospital in recent years, was admitted to the cardiology unit of Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital on Wednesday with respiratory problems. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, a senior Forza Italia official, said in the morning that he had spoken with the tycoon’s doctor.
“He told me that Silvio Berlusconi had had a quiet night and that his condition was stable,” he said, adding that he had made phone calls to his party leaders.
According to the Ansa news agency, citing sources close to him, the octogenarian would have started chemotherapy on Wednesday to treat his leukemia. On Thursday morning, several members of his family, the only ones authorized to see him, went to the hospital located on the outskirts of the Lombard capital, in particular his brother Paolo, his eldest daughter Marina and his youngest son Luigi.
Silvio Berlusconi was rushed to hospital on Wednesday after complaining of difficulty breathing and low levels of oxygen in his blood.
physically disabled
Last month, the billionaire leader had already spent four days in the same hospital, one of the most prestigious on the peninsula, for what the Italian media described as heart problems, before being discharged last Thursday.
“I have already started working again (…) willing and determined to commit myself, as I have always done, for the country that I love,” he had declared in a message posted Friday on social media. On Sunday, he posted a photo of himself smiling in front of a sprawling bed of tulips at his luxurious villa in Arcore, northern Italy.
After dominating Italian politics for decades, the “Cavaliere” now appears physically diminished during his rare public appearances. The days of his infamous “bunga bunga” erotic parties with young aspiring stars are over.
Forza Italia, credited with less than 10% in polls, is part of the far-right and right-wing governing coalition of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who on Wednesday tweeted to her ally her “sincere and warm wishes for a speedy recovery.” .
Silvio Berlusconi entered politics in 1994 and, for millions of Italians, represents the golden age of the Italian economy. Despite a series of sex scandals and court cases that tarnished his image, he has since held a special place in the hearts of many Italians.
Source: BFM TV
