Italy's Berlusconi reportedly in ICU with respiratory illness
Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi has battled ill health for years, suffering from a failing heart and previously overcoming prostate cancer
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was taken to the hospital on Wednesday, according to spokesman Paolo Emilio Russo.
Berlusconi, 86, was brought to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan for treatment, according to Russo.
He is currently in intensive care for respiratory problems, according to unconfirmed reports from Italian news outlets.
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Silvio Berlusconi at the Chamber of Deputies during the consultation for the formation of a new government in Rome. (Livio Anticoli/Pool/Insidefoto/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Berlusconi served as the Italian premier for a total of nine years across four governments.
He is the longest-serving Italian leader since the country became a republic in 1946.
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Silvio Berlusconi is mobbed by press as he leaves a reunion to decide the group leaders of at the Lower Chamber, in Rome. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)
Berlusconi has battled ill health for years, suffering from a compromised heart and previously overcoming prostate cancer.
In 2020, Berlusconi contracted a COVID-19 infection that threatened his life. He was hospitalized for 10 days and told the press it was one of the most dangerous health issues he had ever faced.
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The former premier received a check-up from his personal physician in San Raffele just last month during a multi-day visit.
He returned home and on Mar. 31 thanked his supporters who had reached out in support.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Silvio Berlusconi, leader of Forza Italia Party, casts his vote during the Lombardy regional elections in Milan, Italy earlier this year. (Photo by Piero Cruciatti/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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The iconic Italian politician remains highly controversial in his home country and abroad.
He has been convicted of multiple crimes both in and out of office — including a prostitution scandal and a 2013 tax fraud case that resulted in a six-year ban on him holding legislative office.