File: Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi waves to reporters as he arrives at the Chamber of Deputies to meet Mario Draghi, in Rome, on February 9, 2021
Photo : AP
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- “There are five million of you guys on this platform and 60 per cent of you are under 30 years old and I feel a little envious about that,” Silvio Berlusconi said in his debut video on TikTok
- Silvio Berlusconi is running for the Senate
- Usually, teenagers use TikTok to post dance and fashion videos
“Hi guys, here I am! Welcome to my official TikTok channel!” said the billionaire media mogul in his first video on the social media network. It is noteworthy that TikTok is mainly used by teenagers and influencers to post dance and fashion videos.
“There are five million of you guys on this platform and 60 per cent of you are under 30 years old and I feel a little envious about that,” Berlusconi added.
It may be noted that in August, a survey published by Open Online claimed that only half of Italians between the ages of 18 and 35 plan to vote on September 25.
The former Italian PM was filmed wearing a blue blazer and tie and sitting behind a desk.
In the rightist alliance led by the nationalist Brothers of Italy, Forza Italia is the smallest of the three main parties.
As of Friday, the video had garnered around 500,0000 “likes”, reported news agency AFP.
Later, Berlusconi appeared in another video with a self-deprecating joke about US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Pope Francis.
He ended both the videos by moving his head side to side as he said goodbye “on Tik Tok”.
As most of the country was on summer holidays in August, the campaign has been conducted mostly on social media.
In order to reach younger voters, Berlusconi and his fellow politicians, such as Giorgia Meloni and Five Star Movement’s Giuseppe Conte, have turned to TikTok.
