“Father of all populists”: Berlusconi inspired Trump and co. The Netherlands installs free sunscreen dispensers

Many politicians behave like populists. Few manage to establish an orientation named after them. There is Trumpism in the US and Berlusconism in Italy. As supposed advocates of the ‘little people’, its protagonists – wealthy ‘lateralcomers’ – have managed to turn their country’s politics upside down.

SVP “superfather” Christoph Blocher, who became the dominant figure in Swiss politics with the referendum campaign against joining the EEA in 1992, can be described as a pioneer in this field. Internationally, however, the image remained manageable. There the “post” went off with Silvio Berlusconi’s entry into politics in 1994.

Rich in the real estate and media industries, the “Cavaliere”, who died Monday, had become a figure known outside Italy as the owner of AC Milan. To this day, it is suspected that Berlusconi’s success in the construction industry is due to the mafia. His confidant Marcello Dell’Utri came to court for contacts with Cosa Nostra.

Escape to the front with Forza Italia

The judiciary was also hot on Silvio Berlusconi’s heels. This became a problem when the “Tangentopoli” bribery scandal in 1992 dismantled the Italian party system. The Democrazia Cristiana that had dominated the country after World War II was literally pulverized. As a result, Berlusconi lost many of his former “protectors”.

He fled to the front and founded his party Forza Italia. The allusion to the “Calcio” was intentional. “I have to go into politics or I will go to prison,” Berlusconi is said to have told confidants. Its success was overwhelming: in the parliamentary elections of 1994 Forza Italia became the strongest party and its leader prime minister.

Rule by video

There was a rational and an irrational reason for this. After Tangentopoli, the political center was deserted. Berlusconi penetrated the hole flawlessly. In doing so, he relied on the strength of his media empire and especially his television stations. Silvio Berlusconi was perhaps the first politician to rule his country by video.

This, according to analysts, made him a pioneer of modern political populism. And the people let themselves be lulled to sleep. Berlusconi was prime minister four times. All told, he ruled for nearly nine years, an infinitely long time in short-lived Italian politics. The contrast with this is his extremely meager track record.

The bubble bursts

De Cavaliere made promises in the style of “Make Italy great again”. In power, however, he was only concerned with himself: he tried to protect himself and his environment against the judiciary with tailor-made laws. A template tailored to his lawyer was derided by the opposition and the media as the “Save Previti” law.

However, the economic revival of the “Bel-Paese” was long overdue. Italy consistently lived beyond its means. In 2011, the bubble burst. In the aftermath of the financial and Greek crises, national bankruptcy loomed. Silvio Berlusconi was de facto deposed by President Giorgio Napolitano and replaced by the economist Mario Monti.

Like a Pappagallo in Rimini

The fact is that the Italians had him wrapped around his finger again and again. Was it the former cruise entertainer’s showmanship, the cheesy jokes? Because in Italy a “bella figura” often counts for more than content? Or the naive belief that a supposedly successful entrepreneur will also help the country move forward?

In his last years, Berlusconi became a laughingstock. With the transplanted hair and raised face, he looked like a wax figure. The ‘Bunga Bunga’ sex parties in his villas and the increasingly younger women by his side made him look like a pappagallo caricature on the coast of Rimini.

A power factor to the end

His dream of becoming president never came true. Nevertheless, “il Berlusca” remained a powerhouse until the very end, even if Forza Italia was only a knock-off of its former greatness. Last year he contributed to the impeachment of non-partisan Prime Minister Mario Draghi and the election victory of the extreme right with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

His “record” as a populist has found imitators in other countries. This applies not least to Donald Trump. He made no secret of his admiration for Berlusconi. They have some things in common, such as the mix of real and show business. And Trump would also have had contacts with the New York underworld.

danger to liberal democracy

Like Berlusconi, Trump is fueling resentment against “communists” and the “left” judiciary, with which both had and still have numerous problems. Despite numerous court proceedings, Berlusconi was only convicted once for tax fraud. Because of his age he did not have to go to prison. He did community service in a home for people with dementia.

In an interview with Die Zeit, his successor Mario Monti described him as the “father of all populists”. Compared to the nefarious of Donald Trump, Berlusconi seems almost innocent. And yet he has made lies and attacks on the rule of law socially acceptable. Ultimately, this makes Berlusconism a threat to liberal democracy.