By NICOLE WINFIELD and COLLEEN BARRY
A supporter displays a poster depicting Italian Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi on the backdrop of former Italian terrorist group Brigate Rosse (Red Brigates) and reading in Italian “Political prisoner”, while he waits for Berlusconi’s speech at a rally organized outside of his Rome residence, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013. The Italian Senate has begun debating whether to kick Silvio Berlusconi out of Parliament following his tax fraud conviction. The vote is scheduled later in the day and most analysts expect he will lose his seat. Berlusconi fans massed in front of Berlusconi’s Rome palazzo for a planned rally that analysts say is essentially the start of Italy’s next electoral campaign. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Silvio Berlusconi
FILE — This Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003 photo shows the then Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi attending the final press conference at the end of a two-day EU Commission meeting at the EU Council headquarters in Brussels. The Italian Senate has begun, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, debating whether to kick Silvio Berlusconi out of Parliament following his tax fraud conviction. The vote is scheduled later in the day and most analysts expect he will lose his seat. Berlusconi fans massed in front of his Rome palazzo for a planned rally that analysts say is essentially the start of Italy’s next electoral campaign. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
Italy Berlusconi
Senators vote on procedural matters as they start debating whether to kick Italian Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi out of Parliament following his tax fraud conviction, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013. The vote is scheduled later in the day and most analysts expect he will lose his seat. Berlusconi fans massed in front of Berlusconi’s Rome palazzo for a planned rally that analysts say is essentially the start of Italy’s next electoral campaign. (AP Photo/Mauro Scrobogna, Lapresse)
Italy Berlusconi
A general view of the Italian Senate prior to the start of a vote that might kick Silvio Berlusconi out of the Parliament because of his tax fraud conviction, in Rome Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013. Berlusconi was convicted last year over the purchase of rights to broadcast U.S. movies on his Mediaset empire through a series of offshore companies that involved the false declaration of payments to avoid taxes. Italy’s high court upheld the conviction and four-year prison sentence on Aug. 1. The Senate vote is based on a 2012 law that bans anyone sentenced to more than two years in prison from holding or running for public office for six years. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Italy Berlusconi
A supporter of Italy’s Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi waves flags reading in Italian “Silvio exists” and “go Silvio, Apulia is with you”, while he waits for Berlusconi’s speech at a rally organized outside of his Rome residence, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013. The Italian Senate has begun debating whether to kick Silvio Berlusconi out of Parliament following his tax fraud conviction. The vote is scheduled later in the day and most analysts expect he will lose his seat. Berlusconi fans massed in front of Berlusconi’s Rome palazzo for a planned rally that analysts say is essentially the start of Italy’s next electoral campaign. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Italy Berlusconi
A supporter displays a poster depicting Italian Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi on the backdrop of former Italian terrorist group Brigate Rosse (Red Brigates) and reading in Italian “Political prisoner”, while he waits for Berlusconi’s speech at a rally organized outside of his Rome residence, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013. The Italian Senate has begun debating whether to kick Silvio Berlusconi out of Parliament following his tax fraud conviction. The vote is scheduled later in the day and most analysts expect he will lose his seat. Berlusconi fans massed in front of his Rome palazzo for a planned rally that analysts say is essentially the start of Italy’s next electoral campaign. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Italy Berlusconi
A supporter uses a cut out photoraph of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi as a mask while he waits for Berlusconi’s speech at a rally organized outside of his Rome residence, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013. The Italian Senate has begun debating whether to kick Silvio Berlusconi out of Parliament following his tax fraud conviction. The vote is scheduled later in the day and most analysts expect he will lose his seat. Berlusconi fans massed in front of his Rome palazzo for a planned rally that analysts say is essentially the start of Italy’s next electoral campaign. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
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ROME (AP) — The Italian Senate has expelled three-time ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi from Parliament over his tax fraud conviction.
The vote on Wednesday halts the 77-year-old Berlusconi’s legislative run for at least six years, but does not mark the end of his political career.
Berlusconi maintained his defiance ahead of the vote, declaring Wednesday a “day of mourning for democracy” before thousands of cheering, flag-waving supporters outside his Roman palazzo.
Even though Berlusconi won’t hold a seat in Parliament, he is expected to remain influential in Italian politics. He has relaunched his Forza Italia party and analysts estimate he still commands millions of supporters.
