The far-right coalition’s resounding victory in Italy’s general election on Sunday marks the return to parliament of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, nine years after he was convicted of tax fraud.

Berlusconi, who turns 86 on Thursday, won a senate seat in the northern constituency of Monza, where the billionaire owns a villa and the local soccer club, which was recently promoted to Serie A, with more than 50 percent of the vote.

“I will try to change the rules of the game in the next government,” Berlusconi told supporters after Sunday’s vote, expressing his desire to remain at the forefront of politics despite his age and failing health.

In 2016, Berlusconi underwent heart surgery, in 2020 he became seriously ill with COVID, and in the last year he was hospitalized with various diseases.

Berlusconi’s girlfriend will join him in the Italian parliament

Together with him in the parliament will be his girlfriend, 32-year-old Marta Fasina, who was elected by Forza Italia to a new mandate in Sicily. She was re-elected with about 36% of the vote in the college from Marsala.

Thus, Fashina will take a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, and Berlusconi – in the Senate. However, the former prime minister will have to leave the post of MEP, which he received in 2019. Some speculated that Berlusconi would aim for the position of Senate President, despite health problems.