Berlusconi, dead at 86, remains Italy’s longest-serving and most controversial PM since WWII

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi died in Milan on Monday at the age of 86. The four-time prime minister was known for his many controversies, including hosting notorious “bunga bunga” parties and befriending Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite facing decades of legal battles — more than 30 court cases and one conviction — he continued to find a place in politics, most recently in a rightwing alliance with the party of Italy’s first woman Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Despite the controversy, the head of the Center for Italian Politics at King’s College London, Leila Simona Talani, told host Marco Werman that at least half the country is mourning the longtime leader.