which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician
and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy
, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the controlling shareholder of Mediaset
and owner of A.C. Milan
.
Berlusconi is the longest-serving post-war Prime Minister of Italy, and third longest-serving since Italy's unification, after Benito Mussolini
and Giovanni Giolitti
, holding three separate terms. Technically, he has been sworn in four times because after a cabinet reshuffle, as happened with Berlusconi in 2005, the new ministry is sworn in and subjected to a vote of confidence.
On hair loss: I have little hair because my brain is so big it pushes the hair out
His response to worldwide condemnation of the above speech on 9/11:
: They have tried to hang me on an isolated word, taken out of context from my whole speech ... I did not say anything against the Islamic civilization... It's the work of some people in the Italian leftist press who wanted to tarnish my image and destroy my long-standing relations with Arabs and Muslims.
I am absolutely sure to be the most democratic man to ever become Prime Minister in Italy. (ASCA, January 25, 2002)
I always win, I'm cursed to win. (ANSA, May 24, 2003)
I know in Italy there is a producer, producing a film on Nazi concentration camps. I will suggest you for the role of Kapo (Arbeitslager)|kapo. You would be perfect for that role (said to German MEP Martin Schulz|Martin Schulz, European Parliament| European Parliament, July 2, 2003)
I'm a man of honour, a truthful person, a gentleman of absolute morality. (From "La Repubblica", July 13, 2003)
About magistrates he said: "To do that kind of job you must be mentally disturbed. If they do that kind of job is because they are anthropologically different from the other human beings" (ANSA, September 5, 2003)
At the Brussels summit, at the end of Italy's EU presidency, in December 2003: "Let's talk about football and women." (Turning to four-times-married German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder.) "Gerhard, why don't you start?"