95-516: Giovanni " Nanni " Moretti ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈnanni moˈretti] ; born 19 August 1953) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His films have won accolades, including a Palme d'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival for The Son's Room , a Silver Bear at the 1986 Berlin Film Festival for The Mass is Ended and a Silver Lion at the 1981 Venice Film Festival for Sweet Dreams , in addition to
190-551: A Cannes policy that forbids the Palme d'Or -winning film from receiving any additional awards. This policy would have prevented the jury from acknowledging the actresses separately. Regarding the unorthodox decision, Spielberg commented, "Had the casting been 3% wrong, [the film] wouldn't have worked like it did for us". Subsequently, Kechiche auctioned off his Palme d'Or trophy to fund his new feature film. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter , he expressed dissatisfaction with
285-472: A Fall , respectively). However, in 2013, when Blue Is the Warmest Color won the Palme d'Or , the jury headed by Steven Spielberg awarded it to the film's actresses Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux , as well as the director Abdellatif Kechiche . This remains the only instance where multiple Palme d'Or trophies were presented. The jury decided to include the actresses in the recognition due to
380-462: A Milan court ordered Fininvest to pay 560 million euros in damages to Compagnie Industriali Riunite in a long-running legal dispute. On 5 August 2016, Fininvest announced the signing of a preliminary agreement to sell all of their shares of AC Milan to Sino-Europe Sports Investment Management Changxing Co.Ltd. The deal was scheduled to be finalised by the end of 2016. On 13 April 2017, Berlusconi sold Milan to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux for
475-454: A Pope screened In Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival . He lives in Rome, having been resident since birth, where he is co-owner of a small movie theater, Nuovo Sacher, named like this because of Moretti's passion for Sachertorte . The short film, Il Giorno della prima di Close Up ( Opening Day of Close-Up , 1996), shows Moretti at his theatre attempting to encourage patrons to attend
570-410: A competitive Palme d'Or . Silvio Berlusconi Silvio Berlusconi ( / ˌ b ɛər l ʊ ˈ s k oʊ n i / BAIR -luu- SKOH -nee , Italian: [ˈsilvjo berluˈskoːni] ; 29 September 1936 – 12 June 2023) was an Italian media tycoon and politician who served as the prime minister of Italy in three governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He
665-499: A controversial figure who divided public opinion and political analysts. Supporters emphasised his leadership skills and charismatic power, his fiscal policy based on tax reduction, and his ability to maintain strong and close foreign relations with both the United States and Russia. In general, critics address his performance as a politician and the ethics of his government practices in relation to his business holdings. Issues with
760-648: A cruise ship crooner . In later life, he wrote AC Milan 's anthem with the Italian music producer and pop singer Tony Renis and Forza Italia's anthem with the opera director Renato Serio . With the Neapolitan singer Mariano Apicella, he wrote two Neapolitan song albums: Meglio 'na canzone in 2003 and L'ultimo amore in 2006. In 1965, Berlusconi married Carla Elvira Dall'Oglio, and they had two children: Maria Elvira , better known as Marina (born 1966), and Pier Silvio (born 1969). By 1980, Berlusconi had established
855-475: A cushion for the palm, which is hand-cast into a wax mould and now presented in a case of blue Morocco leather . In 1998, Theo Angelopoulos was the first director to win the Palme d'or as it appears today, for his film Eternity and a Day . The presentation of the 2014 Palme d'Or to Winter Sleep , a Turkish film by Nuri Bilge Ceylan , occurred during the 100th anniversary year of Turkish cinema. On receiving
950-408: A law that previously restricted nationwide broadcasting to RAI, which had ordered these private networks to cease transmitting. After political turmoil in 1985, the decree was approved definitively; for some years, Berlusconi's three channels remained in legal limbo and were not allowed to broadcast news and political commentary. They were elevated to the status of full national TV channels in 1990 by
1045-486: A leader because of his turbulent private life. Berlusconi was born in 1936 in Milan , where he was raised in a middle-class family. His father, Luigi Berlusconi, was a bank employee, and his mother, Rosa Bossi, a housewife. He was the first of three children; he had a sister, Maria Francesca Antonietta, and a brother, Paolo . After completing his secondary school education at a Salesian college, Berlusconi studied law at
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#17328688926921140-462: A little over a month until his replacement by a technocratic government headed by Lamberto Dini . Dini had been a key minister in the Berlusconi cabinet, and Berlusconi said the only way he would support a technocratic government would be if Dini headed it. In the end, Dini was supported by most of the opposition parties, but not by Forza Italia and Lega Nord. In 1996, Berlusconi and his coalition lost
1235-496: A major demonstration of the centre-right in Rome against the Prodi II Cabinet , Berlusconi proposed the foundation of a Freedom Party, arguing that the people and voters of the different political movements aligned to the demonstration were all part of a people of freedom. On 18 November 2007, after claiming the collection of more than 7 million signatures (including that of Umberto Bossi ) demanding that then President of
1330-404: A margin of 9% of the vote: 46.5% (344 seats) to 37.5% (246 seats). Berlusconi capitalised on discontent over the nation's stagnating economy and the unpopularity of Prodi's government. His declared top priorities were to remove piles of rubbish from the streets of Naples and to improve the state of the Italian economy, which had under-performed the rest of the eurozone for years. He also said he
1425-436: A relationship with the actress Veronica Lario (born Miriam Bartolini), with whom he subsequently had three children: Barbara (born 1984), Eleonora (born 1986), and Luigi (born 1988). He was divorced from Dall'Oglio in 1985, and married Lario in 1990. By this time, Berlusconi was a well-known entrepreneur, and his wedding was a notable social event. One of his best men was Bettino Craxi , a former prime minister and leader of
1520-527: A sequel, Aprile ) and La stanza del figlio ( The Son's Room , 2001), the latter of which won the Palme d'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival . Moretti has used certain actors several times in his films, generally playing minor roles. His father Luigi appears in 6 films, Dario Cantarelli and Mauro Fabretti in 5, Antonio Petrocelli in 4. More notable Italian actors he has employed frequently in his films include Silvio Orlando , who appears in 5 films (including
1615-663: A total of €830 million after a 31-year reign. Berlusconi rapidly rose to the forefront of Italian politics in January 1994, forming a new party called Forza Italia . He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time and appointed as prime minister following the 1994 Italian general election , when Forza Italia gained a majority in the Chamber of Deputies less than three months after having been launched. His cabinet collapsed after nine months due to internal disagreements among
1710-474: A vote nonetheless won by Berlusconi by 314 to 311. In May 2011, PdL suffered a big blow in local elections. Particularly painful was the loss of Milan , Berlusconi's hometown and party stronghold. In response to this and to conflicts within party ranks, Angelino Alfano , the Justice minister, was chosen as national secretary in charge of reorganising and renewing the party. The appointment of 40-year-old Alfano,
1805-457: A year would not be taxed). Secondly, he promised to halve the unemployment rate. Thirdly, he committed to financing and developing a massive new public works programme. Fourthly, he promised to raise the minimum monthly pension rate to 516 euros. Fifthly, he would reduce crime by introducing police officers to patrol all local zones and areas in Italy's major cities. Opposition parties claim Berlusconi
1900-446: A year. The conflict between Fini and Berlusconi was covered live on television. At the end of the day, a resolution proposed by Berlusconi's loyalists was put before the assembly and approved by a landslide margin. On 29 July 2010, the party executive released a document in which Fini was described as "incompatible" with the political line of the PdL and unable to perform his job of President of
1995-557: Is known as a maker of wryly humorous and eccentric films, usually starring himself. His most recent role was in the film Mia Madre ( My Mother , 2015) Moretti is also an outspoken political leftist . In 2002, he organized street protests against the government of Silvio Berlusconi . Il caimano (2006) is in part about Berlusconi's controversies: in one of the three portraits of the Italian prime minister Moretti himself plays Berlusconi. Aprile also deals with Italy's political situation and Moretti's views on it. His 2011 film We Have
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#17328688926922090-400: Is necessary to amend the Italian constitution without a qualified two-thirds parliamentary majority. The referendum was held on 25–26 June 2006 and resulted in the rejection of the constitutional reform, with 61.3% of voters casting ballots against it. Operating under a new electoral law written unilaterally by the governing parties with strong criticism from the parliamentary opposition ,
2185-722: Is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival . It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film . In 1964, the Palme d'Or was replaced again by the Grand Prix, before being reintroduced in 1975. The Palme d'Or
2280-481: Is widely considered one of the film industry 's most prestigious awards. In 1954, the festival decided to present an award annually, titled the Grand Prix of the International Film Festival, with a new design each year from a contemporary artist. The festival's board of directors invited several jewellers to submit designs for a palm , in tribute to the coat of arms of the city of Cannes , evoking
2375-574: The 1994 US elections . This was considered to be a creative masterstroke in his 2001 bid for prime ministership. Berlusconi committed in this contract to improving several aspects of the Italian economy and life, and promised to not stand for re-election in 2006 if he failed to honour at least four of these five promises. Firstly, he undertook to simplify the complex Italian national tax system by introducing just two income tax rates (33% for those earning over 100,000 euros , and 23% for anyone earning less than that figure: anyone earning less than 11,000 euros
2470-502: The David di Donatello Award for Best Film on three occasions (for Caro diario in 1994, The Son's Room in 2001 and Il caimano in 2006). Every film he has directed since Caro diario has been shown at the Cannes Film Festival , and in 2012 he was the president of the Official Competition jury. Moretti was born in Bruneck , Italy to Roman parents who were both teachers. His father
2565-656: The European debt crisis , the resignation of Berlusconi as prime minister came on 16 November 2011. Berlusconi led the People of Freedom and its right-wing allies in the campaign for the 2013 Italian general election . Although he initially planned to run for a fifth term as prime minister, as part of the agreement with the Lega Nord , he would instead plan to lead the coalition without becoming prime minister. Berlusconi's centre-right coalition gained 29% of votes, ranking second, after
2660-717: The Italian Social-Democratic Party , the Italian Republican Party and the Italian Liberal Party , lost much of their electoral strength almost overnight due to a large number of judicial investigations concerning the financial corruption of many of their foremost members in the Mani Pulite affair. This led to a general expectation that upcoming elections would be won by the Democratic Party of
2755-532: The Italian Socialist Party . In May 2009, Lario announced that she was to file for divorce. On 28 December 2012, Berlusconi was ordered to pay Lario $ 48 million a year in a divorce settlement, but could keep the $ 100 million house they lived in with their three children. Berlusconi's business career began in construction in the 1970s, when he built Milano Due , a development of 4,000 residential apartments east of Milan . The residential centre
2850-762: The National Alliance ( Alleanza Nazionale ), heir to the Italian Social Movement , in central and southern regions. In a pragmatic move, he did not ally with the latter in the North because Lega Nord disliked them. Consequently, Forza Italia was allied with two parties that were not allied with each other. Berlusconi launched a massive campaign of electoral advertisements on his three TV networks and prepared his top advertising salesmen with seminars and screen tests, of whom 50 were subsequently elected despite an absence of legislative experience. He subsequently won
2945-627: The Pentapartito , who were shocked and confused by Mani Pulite scandals, that Forza Italia offered both a fresh uniqueness and the continuation of the pro-Western free-market policies followed by Italy since the end of World War II . Shortly after he decided to enter the political arena, investigators into the Mani Pulite affair were said to be close to issuing warrants for the arrest of Berlusconi and senior executives of his business group. During his political career, Berlusconi repeatedly stated that
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3040-483: The Soviet Union , an issue on which the coalition parties themselves initially had significantly different opinions. Lega Nord insisted on a federalist reform ( devolution of more power to the regions) as a condition for remaining in the coalition. The National Alliance party pushed for a strong premiership (more powers to the prime minister). Difficulties in negotiating an agreement caused some internal unrest in
3135-504: The University of Milan , graduating with honours in 1961, with a thesis on the legal aspects of advertising. He was not required to serve the standard one-year stint in the Italian army which was compulsory at the time. During his university studies, he played upright bass in a group formed with the now Mediaset Chairman and amateur pianist Fedele Confalonieri and occasionally performed as
3230-453: The list of the World's Most Powerful People due to his domination of Italian politics throughout more than fifteen years at the head of the centre-right coalition . Berlusconi was prime minister for nine years in total, making him the longest serving post-war prime minister of Italy, and the third-longest-serving since Italian unification , after Benito Mussolini and Giovanni Giolitti . He
3325-475: The majority bonus system . This electoral law, approved shortly before the election by Berlusconi's coalition in an attempt to improve their chances of winning the election, led to the coalition's defeat and gave Prodi the chance to form a new cabinet. Prodi's coalition government consisted of a large number of smaller parties. If only one of these nine parties that formed The Union withdrew its support to Prodi, his government would have collapsed. This situation
3420-466: The national conservative National Alliance (AN) and President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies , became a vocal critic of the leadership of Berlusconi. Fini departed from party's majority line on several issues but, most of all, he was a proponent of a more structured party organisation. His criticism was aimed at the leadership style of Berlusconi, who tends to rely on his personal charisma to lead
3515-405: The 15th anniversary of Berlusconi's first electoral victory. While Forza Italia had never held a formal party congress to formulate its rules, procedures, and democratic balloting for candidates and issues, (since 1994 three party conventions of Forza Italia have been held, all of them resolving to support Berlusconi and reelecting him by acclamation) on 27 March 2009, at the foundation congress of
3610-628: The April 2006 general election was held. The results of this election handed Romano Prodi 's centre-left coalition, known as The Union (Berlusconi's opposition), a very thin majority: 49.8% against 49.7% for the centre-right coalition House of Freedoms in the Lower House , and a two-senator lead in the Senate (158 senators for The Union and 156 for the House of Freedoms). The Court of Cassation subsequently validated
3705-454: The Berlusconi government in 2003, but they were mostly overcome and the law including devolution of powers to the regions, Federal Senate, and strong premiership, was passed by the Senate in April 2004; it was slightly modified by the Chamber of Deputies in October 2004, and again in October 2005, and finally approved by the Senate on 16 November 2005, with a narrow majority. Approval in a referendum
3800-412: The Chamber of Deputies in a neutral way. Berlusconi asked Fini to step down, and the executive proposed the suspension from party membership of three MPs who had harshly criticised Berlusconi and accused some party members of criminal offences. As response, Fini and his followers formed their own groups in both chambers under the name of Future and Freedom (FLI). It was soon clear that FLI would leave
3895-450: The Left , the heirs to the former Italian Communist Party , and their Alliance of Progressives coalition unless an alternative arose. On 26 January 1994, Berlusconi announced his decision to enter politics, in his own words to "enter the field", presenting his own political party, Forza Italia , on a platform focused on defeating communists . His political aim was to convince the voters of
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3990-587: The Mammì law, named after Oscar Mammì . In 1987, it bought out home video distributor Domovideo, in a seesaw contest with Vincenzo Romagnoli . In 1995, Berlusconi sold a portion of his media holdings, first to the German media group Kirch Group (now bankrupt) and then by public offer. In 1999, Berlusconi expanded his media interests by forming a partnership with Kirch called the Epsilon MediaGroup . On 9 July 2011,
4085-501: The Mani Pulite investigations were led by communist prosecutors who wanted to establish a Soviet -style government in Italy. To win the March 1994 general election, Berlusconi formed two separate electoral alliances: Pole of Freedoms ( Polo delle Libertà ) with Lega Nord (Northern League) in northern Italian districts, and another, the Pole of Good Government ( Polo del Buon Governo ), with
4180-523: The Palme and its pedestal in hand- cut crystal . In 1997, Caroline Scheufele redesigned the statuette; since then, it has been manufactured by the Swiss jewellery firm Chopard . The palm is made from 4.16 oz (118 g) of 18-carat yellow gold while the branch's base forms a small heart. The Palme d'or rests on a dainty crystal cushion shaped like an emerald-cut diamond. A single piece of cut crystal forms
4275-550: The PdL and become an independent party. On 7 November, during a convention in Bastia Umbra , Fini asked Berlusconi to step down from his post of prime minister and proposed a new government including the Union of the Centre (UdC). A few days later, the four FLI members of the government resigned. On 14 December, FLI voted against Berlusconi in a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies,
4370-592: The PdL joint list, allied with Lega Nord of Bossi and the Movement for Autonomy of Raffaele Lombardo . In the snap elections held on 13–14 April 2008, this coalition won against Walter Veltroni 's centre-left coalition in both houses of the Italian Parliament . In the 315-member Senate of the Republic, Berlusconi's coalition won 174 seats to Veltroni's 134. In the lower house , Berlusconi's conservative bloc led by
4465-464: The PdL political movement the statute of the new party was subject to a vote of approval. On 5,820 voting delegates, 5,811 voted in favour, 4 against and 5 abstained. During that political congress Berlusconi was elected as chairman of the PdL by a show of hands. According to the official minutes of the congress the result favoured Berlusconi, with 100 per cent of the delegates voting for him. Between 2009 and 2010, Gianfranco Fini , former leader of
4560-541: The Republic Giorgio Napolitano call a fresh election, Berlusconi announced from the running board of a car in a crowded Piazza San Babila in Milan that Forza Italia would soon merge or transform into The People of Freedom , also known as the PdL ( Il Popolo della Libertà ). Berlusconi also stated that this new political movement could include the participation of other parties. Both supporters and critics of
4655-442: The Senate after winning a seat in the 2022 Italian general election , then died the following year from complications of chronic leukaemia , and was given a state funeral . Berlusconi was known for his populist political style and brash personality. In his long tenure, he was often accused of being an authoritarian leader and a strongman . At the height of his power, Berlusconi was the richest person in Italy, owned three of
4750-607: The award, Ceylan dedicated it to the "young people" involved in Turkey's ongoing political unrest, and the workers killed in the Soma mine disaster , which occurred on the day before the commencement of the awards event. In 2017, the award was redesigned to celebrate the festival's 70th anniversary . The diamonds were provided by an ethical supplier certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council. The 2020 Cannes Film Festival
4845-698: The centre-left coalition Italy Common Good led by Pier Luigi Bersani . Subsequently, Berlusconi's allies supported the Letta Cabinet headed by Enrico Letta of the Democratic Party , together with the centrist Civic Choice of former prime minister Mario Monti . Berlusconi was criticised for his electoral coalitions with right-wing populist parties (Lega Nord and the National Alliance ) and for apologetic remarks about Mussolini; he also officially apologised for Italy's actions in Libya during colonial rule . While in power, Berlusconi maintained ownership of Mediaset ,
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#17328688926924940-432: The coalition parties, and he was succeeded as prime minister by Lamberto Dini . In the 1996 Italian general election , Berlusconi was defeated by the centre-left candidate Romano Prodi . In the 2001 Italian general election , he was again the centre-right candidate for prime minister and won against the centre-left candidate Francesco Rutelli . Berlusconi then formed his second and third cabinets, until 2006. Berlusconi
5035-634: The coalition receiving 49.6% of the vote for the Chamber of Deputies and 42.5% for the Senate of the Republic . On the television interview programme Porta a Porta , during the last days of the electoral campaign, Berlusconi created a powerful impression on the public by undertaking to sign the Contratto con gli Italiani ( Contract with the Italians ), an idea copied by his advisor Luigi Crespi from Newt Gingrich 's Contract with America introduced six weeks before
5130-514: The country's lower house , he became a member of the Senate following the 2013 Italian general election . On 1 August 2013, Berlusconi was convicted of tax fraud by the Supreme Court of Cassation . His four-year prison sentence was confirmed, and he was banned from holding public office for two years. Aged 76, he was exempted from direct imprisonment, and instead served his sentence by doing unpaid community service . Three years of his sentence
5225-472: The elections and were replaced by a centre-left government led by Romano Prodi . In 2001, Berlusconi ran again, as leader of the right-wing coalition House of Freedoms ( La Casa delle Libertà ), which included the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats , Lega Nord , the National Alliance , and other parties. Berlusconi's success in the May 2001 general election led to him becoming prime minister once more, with
5320-489: The elections, with Forza Italia garnering 21% of the popular vote, more than any other single party. One of the most significant promises that he made to secure victory was that his government would create "one million more jobs". He was appointed prime minister in 1994, but his term in office was short because of the inherent contradictions in his coalition: the League, a regional party with a strong electoral base in northern Italy,
5415-464: The fact that many of its MPs had switched to Forza Italia, allegedly lured by promises of more prestigious portfolios. In 1998, various articles attacking Berlusconi were published by Lega Nord's official newspaper La Padania , with titles such as "La Fininvest è nata da Cosa Nostra" ('Fininvest [Berlusconi's principal company] was founded by the Mafia'). Berlusconi remained as caretaker prime minister for
5510-458: The famous legend of Saint Honorat and the palm trees lining the famous Promenade de la Croisette . The original design by Parisian jeweller Lucienne Lazon, inspired by a sketch by director Jean Cocteau , had the bevelled lower extremity of the stem forming a heart, and the pedestal a sculpture in terracotta by the artist Sébastien . In 1955, the first Palme d'Or was awarded to Delbert Mann for his film Marty . From 1964 to 1974,
5605-446: The festival temporarily resumed a Grand Prix. In 1975, the Palme d'Or was reintroduced and has since remained the festival's symbol, awarded each year to the director of the winning film, presented in a case of pure red Morocco leather lined with white suede . As of 2023, Jane Campion , Julia Ducournau , and Justine Triet are the only female directors to have won the Palme d'Or (for The Piano , Titane , and Anatomy of
5700-462: The festival's decision to award multiple trophies, stating that he felt they had "publicly insulted" him. He added, "Liberating myself from this Palme d'Or is a way of washing my hands of this sorry affair". Since its reintroduction, the prize has been redesigned several times. At the beginning of the 1980s, the rounded shape of the pedestal, bearing the palm has gradually transformed to become pyramidal in 1984. In 1992, Thierry de Bourqueney redesigned
5795-538: The film itself as well. Nine directors or director duos have won the award twice. Three of them ( ) have won for consecutive films. In 1997, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Festival, the Cannes jury awarded a "Palme des Palmes" for the first time. Since 2002 the festival began to award a non-competitive Honorary Palme d'Or to directors or actors who had achieved a notable body of work but who had never won
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#17328688926925890-452: The financial elite of Italy in the late 1960s. He was the controlling shareholder of Mediaset and owned the Italian football club AC Milan from 1986 to 2017. He was nicknamed Il Cavaliere ('The Knight') for his Order of Merit for Labour ; he voluntarily resigned from this order in March 2014. In 2018, Forbes ranked him as the 190th-richest man in the world, with a net worth of US$ 8 billion. In 2009, Forbes ranked him 12th in
5985-409: The five years leading up to 1983, he earned some 113 billion Italian lire (€58.3 million). The funding sources are still unknown because of a complex system of holding companies , despite investigations conducted by various prosecutors . Fininvest soon expanded into a country-wide network of local TV stations which had similar programming, forming, in effect, a single national network. At
6080-480: The following year. TeleMilano was one of the first Italian private television channels and later evolved into Canale 5 , the first national private TV station. After buying two further channels, Berlusconi relocated the station to central Milan in 1977 and began broadcasting over the airwaves. In 1975, Berlusconi founded his first media group, Fininvest. In 1978 he joined the Propaganda Due masonic lodge . In
6175-408: The former include accusations of having mismanaged the state budget and of increasing the Italian government debt . The second criticism concerns his vigorous pursuit of his personal interests while in office, including benefitting from his own companies' growth due to policies promoted by his governments, having vast conflicts of interest due to ownership of a media empire, and being blackmailed as
6270-468: The goals of the agreement, and said his Government provided un miracolo continuo (a continuous miracle) that made all 'earlier governments pale' (by comparison). He attributed the widespread failure to recognise these achievements to a campaign of mystification and vilification in the print media, asserting that 85% of newspapers were opposed to him. Luca Ricolfi, an independent analyst, held that Berlusconi had managed to deliver only one promise out of five,
6365-403: The largest media company in Italy, and was criticised for his dominance of the Italian media. His leadership was also undermined by sex scandals . Berlusconi entered politics in 1994, reportedly admitting to Indro Montanelli and Enzo Biagi that he was forced to do so to avoid imprisonment. He served as prime minister of Italy from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. His career
6460-512: The main TV channels of the country, and indirectly controlled RAI through his own government. He was the owner of Italy's biggest publishing company, several newspapers and magazines, and one of the largest football clubs in Europe. At the time of his death, The Guardian wrote that Berlusconi "gathered himself more power than was ever wielded by one individual in a Western democracy". Berlusconi remained
6555-472: The new party called Berlusconi's announcement "the running board revolution" (Italian: la rivoluzione del predellino ). After the sudden fall of the Prodi II Cabinet on 24 January, the break-up of The Union , and the subsequent political crisis, which paved the way for a fresh general election in April 2008, Berlusconi, Gianfranco Fini and other party leaders finally agreed on 8 February 2008 to form
6650-510: The one concerning minimum pension rates. According to Ricolfi, the other four promises were not honoured, in particular the undertakings on tax simplification and crime reduction. The House of Freedoms did not do as well in the 2003 local elections as it did in the 2001 national elections. In common with many other European governing groups, in the 2004 elections to the European Parliament , gained 43.37% support. Forza Italia's support
6745-460: The opening day of Abbas Kiarostami's film, Close Up . He is not religious. In his words, "I remember the shirts that said 'Thank God I'm an atheist'. Funny. But I do not think so. I'm not a believer and I'm sorry." His 2015 film Mia Madre was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival . Palme d%27Or The Palme d'Or ( French pronunciation: [palm(ə) dɔʁ] ; English: Golden Palm )
6840-463: The party from the centre and supports a less structured form of party, a movement-party that organises itself only at election times. On 15 April 2010, an association named Generation Italy was launched to better represent Fini's views within the party and push for a different form of party organisation. On 22 April 2010 the National Committee of the PdL convened in Rome for the first time in
6935-408: The regions ( Lombardy and Veneto ) up for re-election. Three parties, Union of Christian and Centre Democrats , National Alliance and New Italian Socialist Party , threatened to withdraw from the Berlusconi government. Berlusconi after some hesitation, then presented to the president of Italy a request for the dissolution of his government on 20 April. On 23 April, he formed a new government with
7030-532: The role of protagonist in Il caimano ) and Laura Morante , who was featured in Sogni d'oro , Bianca and The Son's Room . Having played waterpolo in the B division of the Italian championship, his experience later inspired his film Palombella Rossa ("palombella," which literally means "little pigeon," refers to a type of lob shot). His other work has not been widely seen outside Europe, but within his country Moretti
7125-539: The run-up to the 2006 general election, there had been talk among some of the coalition members of the House of Freedoms about a possible merger into a "united party of moderates and reformers". Forza Italia , the National Alliance of Gianfranco Fini , and the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats of Pier Ferdinando Casini all seemed interested in the project. Soon after the election, Casini started to distance his party from its historical allies. On 2 December 2006, during
7220-539: The same allies, reshuffling ministers and amending the government programme. A key point demanded by the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats and to a lesser extent by the National Alliance for their continued support was that the strong focus on tax reduction be reduced. A key point in the Berlusconi government's programme was a planned reform of the Italian constitution , which Berlusconi considered to be inspired by
7315-444: The state maintained prohibitions on live broadcasting and private news channels. Berlusconi was the first to successfully bypass these restrictions by distributing simultaneously pre-recorded broadcasts across multiple local stations, effectively creating the impression of a national live television network. In 1980, Berlusconi founded Italy's first private national network, Canale 5 , followed shortly thereafter by Italia 1 , which
7410-463: The time, laws permitted only the national broadcaster RAI to operate throughout the country, and this was seen as an effort to circumvent the state monopoly . Prior to 1974, Italian television was entirely under state ownership. Despite the landmark 1976 ruling by the Constitutional Court of Italy (decision no. 202/1976), which allowed private entities to operate local television stations ,
7505-407: The voting procedures and determined that the election process was constitutional. According to the new electoral rules, The Union, nicknamed "The Soviet Union" by Berlusconi, with a margin of only 25,224 votes (out of over 38 million voters) won 348 seats (compared to 281 for the House of Freedoms) in the lower house given to whichever coalition of parties was awarded more votes as a result of
7600-485: Was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1994 to 2013; a member of the Senate of the Republic from 2022 until his death in 2023, and previously from March to November 2013; and a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2019 to 2022, and previously from 1999 to 2001. With a net worth of US$ 6.8 billion in June 2023, Berlusconi was the third-wealthiest person in Italy at the time of his death. Berlusconi rose into
7695-529: Was also reduced from 29.5% to 21.0% (in the 1999 European elections Forza Italia had 25.2%). As an outcome of these results, the other coalition parties, whose electoral results were more satisfactory, asked Berlusconi and Forza Italia for greater influence on the government's political line. In the regional elections on 3–4 April 2005, centre-left candidates for regional presidencies won in 11 out of 13 regions where control of local governments and presidencies were at stake. Berlusconi's coalition held only two of
7790-539: Was also the result of the new electoral system. Centrist parties such as the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats immediately conceded The Union's victory, while other parties, such as Berlusconi's Forza Italia and the Northern League, refused to accept its validity, right up until 2 May 2006, when Berlusconi submitted his resignation to then President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi . In
7885-450: Was assisted by his connections to Bettino Craxi , secretary-general of the Italian Socialist Party and also the prime minister of Italy at that time, whose government passed, on 20 October 1984, an emergency decree legalising the nationwide transmissions made by Berlusconi's television stations. This was in response to judgements on 16 October 1984, in Turin , Pescara , and Rome , enforcing
7980-492: Was at that time fluctuating between federalist and separatist positions and the National Alliance was a nationalist party that had yet to renounce neo-fascism at the time. In December 1994, following the leaking to the press of news of a fresh investigation by Milan magistrates, Umberto Bossi , leader of the Lega Nord , left the coalition claiming that the electoral pact had not been respected. This in turn forced Berlusconi to resign from office. Lega Nord also resented
8075-451: Was automatically pardoned under Italian law; because he had been sentenced to gross imprisonment for more than two years, he was banned from holding legislative office for six years and expelled from the Senate. Berlusconi pledged to stay leader of Forza Italia throughout his custodial sentence and public office ban. After his ban ended, Berlusconi ran for and was elected as an MEP at the 2019 European Parliament election . He returned to
8170-451: Was bought from the Rusconi family in 1982, and Rete 4 , which was bought from Mondadori in 1984. He then launched three international sister networks: La Cinq (1986), Tele 5 (1988), and Telecinco (1989). La Cinq and Tele 5 ceased operations in 1992 and were later replaced by La Cinquième and DSF , respectively. Berlusconi created the first and only Italian commercial TV empire. He
8265-583: Was built by Edilnord, a Berlusconi-owned company associated with the Fininvest group. Works began on the project in 1970 and was completed in 1979. The profits from this venture provided the seed money for his advertising agency. Berlusconi first entered the media world in the 1970s, buying from Giacomo Properzj and Alceo Moretti a small cable television company, TeleMilano, to service units built on his Segrate properties. It began transmitting in September of
8360-406: Was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . 56 films were announced as official selections by the festival, but no awards were presented. During the 2018 closing ceremony, the jury awarded a "Special Palme d'Or" for the first time ever. Even though the award was not intended to be an Honorary Palme d'Or to Jean-Luc Godard , the move was made as an homage to his career, and as an award to
8455-477: Was not able to achieve the goals he promised in his Contratto con gli Italiani . Some of his partners in government, especially the National Alliance and the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats , admitted the Government fell short of the promises made in the agreement, attributing the failure to an unforeseeable downturn in global economic conditions. Berlusconi himself consistently asserted that he achieved all
8550-510: Was open to working with the opposition, and pledged to fight tax avoidance and tax evasion , reform the judicial system and reduce public debt. He intended to reduce the number of cabinet ministers to 12. Berlusconi and his ministers ( Berlusconi IV Cabinet ) were sworn in on 8 May 2008. On 21 November 2008, the National Council of Forza Italia dissolved Forza Italia and established the PdL, whose inauguration took place on 27 March 2009,
8645-464: Was racked with controversies and trials ; among these was his failure to honour his promise to sell his personal assets in Mediaset , the largest television broadcaster in Italy, to dispel any perceived conflicts of interest . In the early 1990s, the five governing parties known as the Pentapartito , including Christian Democracy ( Italian : Democrazia Cristiana ), the Italian Socialist Party ,
8740-655: Was released. In 1978, he wrote, directed and starred in the movie Ecce Bombo , which tells the story of a student having problems with his entourage. It was screened at the Cannes Festival. Sogni d'oro won the Silver Lion at the 38th Venice International Film Festival . La messa è finita won the Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize at the 36th Berlin International Film Festival . He may be best known for his films Caro diario ( Dear Diary , 1993; followed in 1998 by
8835-506: Was the late epigraphist Luigi Moretti, a Greek teacher at Sapienza University of Rome. His brother is literary scholar Franco Moretti . While growing up Moretti discovered his two passions, the cinema and water polo. Having finished his studies he pursued a career as a producer, and in 1973 directed his first two short films: Pâté de bourgeois and The Defeat ( La sconfitta [ it ] ) In 1976, Nanni Moretti's first feature film Io sono un autarchico ( I Am Self-Sufficient )
8930-471: Was the leader of the centre-right coalition in the 2006 Italian general election , which he lost by a very narrow margin, his opponent again being Prodi. He was re-elected in the 2008 Italian general election following the collapse of the Second Prodi government and sworn in for the third time as prime minister on 8 May 2008. After losing his majority in parliament amid growing fiscal problems related to
9025-464: Was the leader of the centre-right party Forza Italia from 1994 to 2009, and its successor party The People of Freedom from 2009 to 2013. He led the revived Forza Italia from 2013 to 2023. Berlusconi was the senior G8 leader from 2009 until 2011, and he held the record for hosting G8 summits (having hosted three summits in Italy). After serving nearly 19 years as a member of the Chamber of Deputies,
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