Italy's Berlusconi hospitalised in Milan since Thursday
FILE PHOTO: Italy's former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, reacts after casting his vote during Italian elections for mayors and councillors, in Milan, Italy, October 3, 2021. REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo/File Photo
MILAN: Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been in Milan's San Raffaele hospital since Thursday (Jan 20), a person with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday after the 85-year-old decided against running for president.
ANSA news agency reported earlier on Sunday that Berlusconi's hospitalisation was related to routine medical checks.
A spokesperson for Berlusconi did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
On Saturday Berlusconi said in a statement that he had decided against running for president ahead of a parliamentary vote beginning on Monday.
Italy's rightist coalition had asked him to run, but his bid was unlikely to be successful due to difficulties in mustering the broad support traditionally needed among more than 1,000 lawmakers and regional delegates.
The four-times prime minister had major heart surgery in 2016 and has survived prostate cancer. He has been repeatedly admitted to hospital over the past year after contracting COVID-19 in 2020.
