Berlusconi’s 90th birthday in the European Parliament. Metsola: “A pro-European.” Tajani: “He has left us a compass”

Brussels – “A man who left his mark on Italian and European political history.” With these words, the European Parliament’s President, Roberta Metsola, paid tribute to Silvio Berlusconi during the event “Silvio Berlusconi. 90 years: an Italian story”, organised today (29 September) by the Italian delegation of Forza Italia to the European Parliament, in the presence of the party’s national secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, and presented by MEP Salvatore De Meo. The 90th anniversary of the former Prime Minister’s birth provided an opportunity to reflect on his role in Italian and European politics. 

Metsola highlighted Berlusconi’s connection with Europe and its values. “He understood the Italians’ desire to be represented by those who believe in human dignity, freedom, responsibility, justice, and solidarity – by those who believe in Italy and in Europe,” said the President of the European Parliament. “Defending these values has always required courage,” she added, linking Berlusconi’s political legacy to the Union’s current challenges, from security to industrial transition and artificial intelligence. 

In his speech, Tajani, on the other hand, emphasised the centrality of freedom in the former prime minister’s political vision. “Man is born free. The state comes after us. The state has a duty to defend and guarantee human freedom,” said the Deputy Prime Minister, recalling how Berlusconi had chosen to join the European People’s Party because, according to Tajani, it represented a force capable of placing “freedom, solidarity, subsidiarity, and the social market economy” at the centre. 

For Tajani, Berlusconi’s vision of Europe also went beyond the purely bureaucratic dimension. “He had a lofty vision of Europe, as a place where Europeans live, a place that must be a bastion of freedom, where every person must be able to realise their dreams,” he said. “Berlusconi gave us a compass,”  concluded the Deputy Prime Minister, citing Western identity, Europeanism, and the transatlantic bond as some of the key elements of his political legacy. 

The EPP Group leader in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, also recalled Berlusconi as a figure capable of combining a strong Italian identity with the European dimension. In his speech, he referred in particular to Berlusconi’s entry into the European People’s Party in 1999, describing it as a decisive moment for the European political family. “Strong Italian pride,”  Weber emphasised, “always” accompanied by a commitment to common European values: freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. 

Finally, Weber also spoke of his political style, highlighting Berlusconi’s ability to communicate in clear, accessible language and to engage with others without imposing his own views. An approach which, according to the EPP leader, also reflected his experience as an entrepreneur: “He never saw the major risks or problems; he always saw the possibilities; he always saw the positive side.”