Berlusconi’s “liberal revolution” was more entrepreneurial than political

In entrepreneurship he innovated and broke monopolies: construction, television, football. He has maintained the status quo in government: he has not raised taxes, but he has not reformed, liberalized or privatised. He understood that Italians like the liberal revolution in words, but they never really wanted it

The descent into the field of Silvio Berlusconi is related to “liberal revolution”, always invoked and never really persecuted. What he was proposing to Italians was a new relationship between the state and citizens, an economy different from state holdings, freed from the burden of taxes, public debt and the party system of the First Republic. Privatizations, competition, cuts in public spending and tax cuts. A cultural and political language revolution, which also forced the left to evolve rapidly after the surprising defeat of 1994. From a practical point of view, however, the political Berlusconi did not live up to his promises.