Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani interrupted his visit to the United States this Monday to return to Italy after learning of the death of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s ANSA reported.
According to the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Tajani, who is traveling to the United States for institutional meetings, should return to Italy shortly after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Tajani’s journey was originally supposed to end on Wednesday, June 14.
On his official Twitter account, Tajani reacted to Silvio Berlusconi’s death by expressing “immense pain”.
“Simply thank you chairman, thank you Silvio,” the message reads, accompanied by a photo of both in black and white.
Antonio Tajani, who was President of the European Parliament between 2017 and 2019, is also the national coordinator of the Forza Italia party, which was founded and led by Berlusconi until now.
Silvio Berlusconi, who died today at the age of 86, was for nine years (1994-1995, 2001-2006, 2008-2011) a controversial figure, media mogul, conservative and right wing and Prime Minister of Italy.
He was the target of corruption allegations and was at the center of the sex scandals that would culminate in his expulsion from the Italian Senate in 2014.
In 2022, the billionaire returned to the political spotlight as a senator and leader of the party he founded, Força Italia, a member of the right-wing and far-right coalition currently in power, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Source: DN
