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Berlusconi leaves hospital after open-heart surgery

Italy’s former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has been discharged from hospital after undergoing a successful open-heart operation in June.

Berlusconi leaves hospital after open-heart surgery
Silvio Berlusconi underwent a successful open-heart operation in June. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

The 79-year-old tycoon underwent surgery following a heart attack his doctor said could have killed him.

“It’s been a very painful ordeal and now I feel a little better,” Berlusconi said as he left Milan’s San Raffaele hospital on Tuesday morning.

Berlusconi underwent a four-hour operation to replace his aortic valve on June 14th. He then spent a few days in intensive care before being transferred to another unit to recover.

But the ordeal didn’t stop him reportedly hatching a plan to revive Forza Italia from his hospital bed.

He is believed to be working on a 15-point programme to relaunch the party and wants to hold a party conference as early as this autumn. The party has performed disastrously at local, regional and European elections since 2013, when it became a branch of the People of Freedom party (Pdl).

Indeed, he talked politics as he left hospital, telling reporters: “There is a worrying shortage of leaders in Italy. I will have two months of rehabilitation, and then I’ll hopefully be useful to Italy and Italians.”

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