A void that is not easy to fill in Italian politics

Overcoming this division is one of the biggest challenges facing the coalition government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni is the leader of the Fratelli d'Italia party, the largest political party in the ruling coalition, ahead of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvani's Lega Nord and Mr Berlusconi's Forza Italia.

Previously, Mr. Berlusconi played a decisive role in mediating and uniting the interests of the parties in Ms. Meloni's ruling coalition. This role of Mr. Berlusconi was so important that it was believed that thanks to him, Ms. Meloni became the first female prime minister in Italy.

Now, Mr. Berlusconi's death has not only pushed Italy to the risk of further political and social division, but also to the risk of internal rifts in the ruling coalition and a government crisis. Mr. Berlusconi used to be the guarantee for Ms. Meloni's party and Mr. Salvani's party to cooperate with each other. Mr. Berlusconi is also the most experienced politician in power and the most active politician in the current ruling coalition in Italy. He even acts as an advisor to Ms. Meloni's government. There is currently no one who can adequately fill this gap for Ms. Meloni's coalition government.

Forza Italia is unlikely to recover after losing its leader Berlusconi. Therefore, Italian politics will be in turmoil in the coming time, rather than remaining relatively stable as in the past. Even the populist far-right wing across Europe will have a hard time filling the void of influence and role left by Mr. Berlusconi.