“In 20 years of politics, I’ve never offended anyone,” were the somewhat odd words of Silvio Berlusconi in 2014 when asked by the BBC why he kept insulting people, according to a POLITICO report.

A controversial figure, Silvio Berlusconi, who has died aged 86, often seemed to understand that he had offended his interlocutors, criticizing them, however, for not being able to take a joke.

According to POLITICO’s article, these are Silvio Berlusconi’s 9 most controversial moments:

Which cuisine do you prefer, Italian or Finnish?

In the early 2000s, negotiations were held to decide the location of the European Food Safety Authority, with Parma and Helsinki competing. Berlusconi was unknowingly overheard saying that Finnish food was inedible and disgusting and that he could barely stand it during his visits to the North. “Finns only eat marinated reindeer meat! They don’t even know what prosciutto is,” Berlusconi said. The EU agency eventually ended up in Parma.

A few years later, Berlusconi found himself in trouble again after he said he had to use his “playboy” charm on then-Finnish president Tarja Halonen. The Finns got some revenge when the Finnish chain Kotipizza released a pizza with reindeer, cabbage and red onions. They named the creation Berlusconi and it won a famous pizza contest in New York.

He promised footballers a ‘bus full of whores’

After years of owning Italian soccer giant AC Milan, Berlusconi later bought another club, Monza, and wanted to make a nice announcement to the players at their Christmas party last year. He had a motive for them.

“We have found a new coach,” Berlusconi told the players, referring to Raffaele Palladino. “He’s nice, charming, kind and able to motivate our kids, but I add an extra incentive: As I told the kids earlier, if you beat any of the top teams, I’ll take a bus full of hookers. in your locker room.” Responding to the criticism, Berlusconi said in a post on Twitter that he could not imagine that a “simple locker room joke” could “give rise to such malicious and unrealistic comments”.
“Perhaps it is their utter lack of humor that makes them so sad and yet so pointlessly attack those they consider enemies. But it’s Christmas. Merry Christmas to them too,” he added.

Prank on Merkel

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel was not a big fan of Berlusconi and his antics. Berlusconi once wanted to play a prank on Merkel, lunging in front of her from behind a monument, shouting “cuckoo” at her during a summit in Trieste to discuss the economic crisis.

Bunga Bunga

Perhaps Berlusconi’s most famous controversy – and one of the most unusual phrases to enter the dictionary. The sex parties at Arcore’s villa near Milan came to light in 2010 when the former prime minister himself called the police to demand the release of a 17-year-old Moroccan girl, Karima El Mahroug, who had been arrested in Milan on suspicion of jewelry theft. However, Berlusconi mistakenly told police that she was a relative of Egypt’s then-president Hosni Mubarak, and her arrest risked a diplomatic incident.

Of course it wasn’t. She was a belly dancer and suspected sex worker named Ruby Rubacuori (Ruby, the Heart Stealer) and claimed to have received $10,000 from Berlusconi for the “bunga bunga” parties she threw. Berlusconi was initially found guilty of paying Maroug for sexual services while she was under 18, but the verdict was overturned on appeal.
Court cases related to the scandal were still ongoing this year, with Berlusconi in February acquitted after being accused of bribing 24 witnesses to give false testimony in an earlier trial.

Comrades with Putin

One of the first international leaders to pay tribute after Berlusconi’s death was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called the Italian politician a “true friend”. Putin said in a statement: “For me, Silvio was a dear person, a true friend. I have always sincerely admired his wisdom, his ability to make balanced, insightful decisions even in the most difficult situations. In every meeting, I was literally indebted to his incredible vitality, optimism and sense of humor. His death is an irreparable loss and great sadness.”

Berlusconi and Putin have been long-time allies and the former Italian prime minister sparked controversy when he blamed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia’s war. During Italy’s election campaign last year, Berlusconi said he had “reconnected” with Putin and described himself as one of the Russian president’s “five real friends”, according to a recording published in Italian media.

Praising Mussolini

In a 2003 interview with the Spectator, Berlusconi defended the actions of his country’s fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini. “Mussolini never killed anyone,” Berlusconi was quoted as saying by the magazine. In the same interview, Berlusconi said Italy’s judges were “mentally disturbed” and “anthropologically different” from other people.

Conflict in the European Parliament

Former European Parliament president Martin Schulz and Berlusconi had a memorable clash in 2003. Taking issue with the German MEP’s tone, Berlusconi said: “I know a film producer in Italy who is making a film about Nazi concentration camps. I will recommend you for the role of a Capo [ένας κρατούμενος που τίθεται επικεφαλής άλλων κρατουμένων]. You are perfect!”
An enraged Schulz replied: “My respect for the victims of fascism forbids me to say even a word on this… it is hard to accept that a sitting President of the Council, faced with the slightest objection in a debate, loses his manners .”

Anesthesia in an earthquake

In 2009, a devastating earthquake struck the city of L’Aquila in central Italy. The earthquake killed around 300 people and left tens of thousands more homeless. Visiting the area, Berlusconi told survivors living in emergency tents that they should “see it like a camping weekend”.

Annoyance of the Queen

The late Queen Elizabeth II reportedly once gave Berlusconi a sign at the G20 Summit in 2009. While taking the family photo, Berlusconi is said to have shouted “Mr. Obama” to the president of the USA. In a reaction that would prove to be good practice for her later interactions with Donald Trump, the Queen is said to have turned around, thrown her hands in the air and said: “What? Why does he have to shout?’