Berlusconi was divisive but irreplaceable says poll – English

(ANSA) – ROME, JUN 16 – A SWG opinion poll of Italians on the
late Silvio Berlusconi produced an array of one-word responses
ranging from astute to enterprising, intelligent, innovative and
charismatic to hedonisticand divisive, the latter two especially
used by centre left voters, the polling agency said Friday.
   
Most lacking in the responses, SWG said, were the terms honesty
and keeping one’s promises.
   
The poll taken a few days after the media billionaire and
four-time ex-premier’s death from a rare form of leukaemia at 86
last Monday, the powerful profile that emerged showed
Berlusconi’s divisive character on the national scene, said SWG.
   
Some 78% of centre left respondents said they found Berlusconi a
figure that divided Italy while only 49% of centre-right ones
said that he united the nation, on the other hand.
   
But a whopping 82% of the sample agreed on the fact that
Berlusconi interpreted Italians’ passions through his business
moves in TV, soccer and cinema, while 78% said they agreed with
the contention that he changed Italy deeply.
   
Some 93% of centre-left respondents said The Knight (of Labour)
exploited Italians’ weaknesses in his rise to power while 87% of
the same group of voters said he manipulated the country through
his TV stations.
   
The poll showed widespread recognition of Berlusconi’s business
abilities, while there were diametrically opposing views of his
political achievements with conservative respondents saying he
had boosted Italy’s prestige, businesses and EU integration
while less than a third of liberal ones recognised these
achievements and a majority highlighted that he had never
cleared up alleged links with the mafia and subversive
freemasonry.
   
Four out of ten of all respondents said today’s politics is
different from and worse than Berlusconism, but over a third
said it was its direct heir.
   
What the poll most clearly highlighted was that voters couldn’t
be indifferent to Berlusconi, with 61% of centre-right voters
polled admiring him and 44% of centre-left ones saying that he
had bothered them greatly.
   
And if seven out of 10 conservatives agreed with giving him the
unprecedented honour of a day of national mourning, just 42% of
liberal voters said this was appropriate for such a divisive
figure.
   
Rightwing Premier Giorgia Meloni topped the poll as to who could
inherit his legacy, compared to 12% for his long time Forza
Italia no 2 Antonio Tajani, 10% for former premier and centrist
Italia Viva (IV) leader Matteo Renzi, and 7% his eldest daughter
and business chief Marina.
   
Finally, for a clear majority of all voters, Berlusconi was
simply “irreplaceable, a one-off”. (ANSA).