Italy stops Berlusconi's funeral

ROME – Silvio Berlusconi’s death has put Italy out of business.

The government has declared a national day of mourning on Wednesday, when a state funeral for the former prime minister will be held at the Duomo in Milan. Parliamentary votes have been suspended for a week, an unprecedentedly long suspension.

The Piazza del Duomo, surrounding the ornate cathedral, was outfitted with maxi screens to host a crowd of 20,000 during the funeral. Inside the Duomo, about 2,000 mourners will gather, including past and present national and party leaders from across the political spectrum.

Most members of the current government are expected to attend, as well as the roll call of former prime ministers and many international dignitaries, including Hungarian leader Viktor Orban. European institutions are expected to be represented by Manfred Weber, President of the European People’s Party, and European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni.

Political life in Italy has come to a standstill since the announcement on Monday of the death of Berlusconi, who served as prime minister during three terms in office. The current head of the Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, and the leader of the right-wing League party, Matteo Salvini, have canceled their engagements and were due to visit Berlusconi as he lies reclining at his home in Arcore near Milan on Tuesday night. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cut short his visit to the United States

Italian daily La Repubblica compared the national uproar to the scenes in the UK last year following the death Queen Elizabeth II.

The apparent mourning drew criticism from some opposition politicians, who claimed it was a political decision. In part, criticism is inevitable for such a polarizing figure.

Former minister Rosie Bindi, of the Left Democrats party, said Berlusconi had “marked Italy’s history in a negative way” and was responsible for many of the country’s problems. “National mourning for someone as divisive as he is is, in my opinion, not an appropriate option.”

Alessandra Moretti, MP for the Democratic Party, said: “With all due respect … it seems to me an exaggeration to freeze parliamentary action for seven days. I think Italians find it difficult to understand this decision, especially given that there are so many files Which awaits urgent responses, first and foremost the recovery plan.”

“For Berlusconi, a state funeral is a duty, but declaring national mourning appears instead as a political choice,” Brando Benivi, leader of the Democrats in Europe, told Reuters.