ROME (Reuters) – Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, aged 85, has joined a rush of Italian politicians taking to TikTok to court younger voters in this month’s national election.
Berlusconi, who brought slick American-style media messaging to Italy when he entered politics in the 1990s, kicks off his short video with a typically cheery, “hi guys, here I am.”
“There are 5 million of you guys on this platform and 60% of you are under 30 years old and I feel a little envious about that,” he added.
Sitting behind a desk in his trademark blue blazer and tie, the Forza Italia leader says he will use the platform to tell this generation how he can help make Italy “a country that gives you new opportunities and the chance to realise your dreams”.
Forza Italia is the smallest of the three main parties in a rightist alliance led by the nationalist Brothers of Italy that is on course to win the Sept. 25 election.
Berlusconi is catching up with other Italian political leaders who have developed a taste for TikTok.
Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party that is also part of the rightist alliance, claimed “an Italian political record” audience of more than 540,000 people on his TikTok channel.
Carlo Calenda, leader of the small centrist Action party, was more modest as he explained his move on to TikTok, more commonly used by teenagers to post dance and fashion clips.
“I can’t dance, I look like a drunken bear. I can’t give tips on make-up because I have a fat tummy and am ugly. But I can talk to you about politics,” he said.
(Reporting by Elvira Pollina, Fabiano Franchitti and Crispian Balmer; Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
