Analysis-Forza Italia defies doom-mongers to outlive Berlusconi

A man with Forza Italia flag stands outside the Duomo Cathedral following the death of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in Milan, Italy June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File Photo

ROME (Reuters) - After Silvio Berlusconi's death last June, senior figures in his Forza Italia party openly speculated that the group would not be able to survive without its charismatic leader at the helm.

Nine months on and the party, founded in 1994 when Berlusconi first stood for election, has actually pushed higher in the polls and is helping to moderate the image of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's nationalist government.