Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi's state funeral underway

Late former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is being honoured by a national day of mourning on Wednesday, as his casket was brought into Milan's Duomo cathedral for a state funeral.

Although state funerals have been accorded to former premiers in the past, it is the first time a national day of mourning has been held for an ex-leader in Italy.

The decision to do so was taken by a government that contains members of the late premier's former party, Forza Italia, and has raised some controversy in view of Berlusconi's scandal-ridden political career and doubtful legacy.

Tens of thousands of people gathered outside the Duomo to say goodbye to Berlusconi, as his flower-draped casket was hoisted out of the hearse and into the cathedral.

His children and companion, along with many Italian political figures were in attendance.

Berlusconi died on Monday aged 86. Milan is the the city where he made his billions as a media mogul before entering politics in 1994.

Much criticism

Although the funeral is expected to be attended by several thousand people, including top political leaders and foreign dignitaries, among them Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, some Italian opposition politicians are refusing to attend the service.

They include former Premier Giuseppe Conte. Another lawmaker, former center-left minister Rosy Bindi, who was often the butt of sexual jibes by Berlusconi, has called the state honors an "inappropriate sanctification."

Bindi said the day of mourning was "disrespectful towards the majority" of Italians who were opposed to Berlusconi and his politics.

Journalist Marco Travaglio, an outspoken critic of Berlusconi who co-founded the daily Il Fatto Quotidiano, was even more explicit in his disapproval.

"Berlusconi split Italy, he insulted adversaries for 30 years, he criminalized the magistrates and he didn't recognize laws. What are we talking about?'' Travaglio told private TV station La7 TV on Monday.

Detractors of Berusconi cite conflicts of interest relating to his media empire, the many trials he faced, mostly for business dealings, revelations of sex-fueled "bunga-bunga" parties at his villa near Milan and his close friendship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Lavish praise

However, Lucia Adiele, a member of Berlusconi's Forza Italia, said she considered herself fortunate to have met him and traveled nearly 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) to bid farewell.

"I was lucky enough to be a part of Forza Italia for 18 years," she told Reuters TV. "The least I could do was to be here and say goodbye for the last time."

There were also full-page newspaper advertisements from his family and by his media company MFE paying tribute to Berlusconi.

The message from his five children read, "Sweetest Dad, Thank you for your life, Thank you for your love, You will always live inside us."

Fans of Berlusconi refer to his years in power as periods that stabilized the country after a series of short-lived governments and also admired him for his flamboyance and irreverence, often toward other global leaders.

Other leading figures who are set to attend Berlusconi's funeral are EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani.

tj/jcg (Reuters, AP)