Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi reportedly hospitalized

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was taken by ambulance to Milan's San Raffaele hospital on Tuesday, newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on its website. According to the report, the condition of the 82-year-old media tycoon was unknown.

Berlusconi, considered by many as a controversial heavyweight on Italy's political scene, was a member of the European Parliament between 1999-2001. He was Italian Prime Minister for nine years during which he was convicted of tax fraud and handed a four-year prison sentence, three of which were pardoned immediately.

He was barred from public office for two years. At the time of his conviction in August 2013, he was over 70, so instead of going to prison, he was forced to do community work for a year. Berlusconi was also involved in a sex scandal for his infamous "bunga bunga" parties that led to him being charged with using underage sex workers, although he was later found not guilty on appeal.

The 82-year-old politician suffered a major political setback at national elections in March 2018 when his Forza Italia (Go Italy!) was only the fourth largest party and was overtaken by its traditionally junior coalition partner, the far-right League.