A Milan court has ordered the immediate "rehabilitation" of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, lifting his ban on holding elected office a year early.

The verdict struck by Milan's Surveillance Tribunal "cancels all the effects" of Berlusconi's 2013 conviction for tax fraud, Milan daily Corriere della Sera, reported on Saturday. The fraud conviction, which stemmed from his media empire dealings, forced the 81-year-old to surrender his Senate seat and barred him from holding office for six years.

Read more: Opinion: Italy's uncertain political future

However, the tribunal's ruling means that the three-time former Italian leader could run for prime minister once again, should coalition talks between the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League break down and new election be called.

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"Finally five years of injustice has come to end," Berlusconi's Forza Italia party said in a statement. "Berlusconi can once again be a candidate."

Mara Carfagna, the current leader of Forza Italia, said: "The 'rehabilitation' by the Milan Surveillance Court puts an end to a judicial persecution and a crucifixion that didn't chip away at the strength of great leadership that, in a profoundly changed political scenario, is today still fundamental and central."

Milan Prosecutor General Roberto Alfonso said prosecutors will have 15 days to decide whether to appeal the tribunal's decision.

Too little, too late?

However, the ban may have been lifted too late for the 81-year-old, as talks on Saturday between the League's Matteo Salvini and M5S' Luigi Di Maio appeared to be finally making headway.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella has given the two leaders until Monday to strike a deal. Otherwise, he said he would appoint a temporary non-political premier to govern Italy.

The right-wing League-Forza Italia coalition won 37 percent of the vote in March's general election, while M5S became the largest single party, taking around 33 percent. Although Berlusconi was sidelined from running, he campaigned actively on behalf of the coalition.

Read more: Italy's Five Star Movement feeds on voters' anger

However, coalition talks stalled in the months after the vote, chiefly because of M5S' refusal to negotiate with Berlusconi — who they accuse as embodying Italian political corruption. On Wednesday, Berlusconi appeared to give the green light for Salvini to go ahead and form a government without him.

After dominating Italian politics for more than two decades, the Berlusconi has fought to remain politically relevant in recent years.

The billionaire tycoon was forced to step down as prime minister in 2011 after becoming engulfed in a sex scandal involving his infamous so-called "bunga bunga" parties, all while Italian bond yields had surged to unsustainable levels at the height of the euro zone debt crisis.

After being convicted in 2013, Berlusconi accepted the option to serve his sentence by doing public service. He spent his sentence helping residents at a facility for Alzheimer's patients.

Read more: Silvio's surreal theater

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign He's back, and this time he's a vegetarian Last Easter, in an attempt to soften his image as he eyed a return to politics, Berlusconi took part in an ad promoting vegetarianism that featured him snuggling lambs in soft lighting overlaid with easy listening music. Although Berlusconi is barred from seeking office for another year due to a fraud conviction, a bloc led by his Forza Italia party has been polling strongly.

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign 'No one will marry you' Berlusconi is well known for offensive remarks and belittling women, so it's no surprise he did both in one go on the campaign trail. Earlier in February, he told a BBC journalist that her handshake was too manly; "Otherwise men will think, this one is going to beat me up, and no one will marry you."

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Win (a date with) Salvini! Matteo Salvini of the far-right Northern League came up with a humble publicity stunt – whoever likes his Facebook posts can win a chance to take a picture with "the captain", talk to him on the phone, or meet in private. He was lambasted on social media and by Italy's La Repubblica daily, which wrote: "The captain? Even Silvio Berlusconi in his golden age would envy this kind of self-regard."

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Think about it! If ex-PM Matteo Renzi was hoping to make a big splash with this tepid ad in which — surprise! — he shows up on a bike and tells a family to "think about" voting for him, then he was certainly successful. Just not perhaps in the way he wanted. The staggeringly lackluster TV spot was parodied countless times on social media.

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Just us kids Luigi di Maio of Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) has repeatedly used his age of only 31 to try and connect with younger voters and is prolific on social media. One of his most cringeworthy attempts to relate to millennial voters came in a video he posted to Instagram in which he said M5S would make Italy "fly high," before "flying" himself in an entertainment complex.

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Pope: Fake news is like being aroused by feces After the US election, the Pope warned about the spread of fake news in Italy and its undue influence. He called untrue, sensational stories "the greatest damage the media can do," in an interview with the Catholic weekly Tertio. "I think the media...must not fall into – no offense intended – the sickness of coprophilia," he said, using a more polite term for an abnormal interest in faeces.

Democracy Italian style: The weirdest moments of Italy's election campaign Prime Minister Oliver? Comedian and pundit John Oliver brought the tumultous Italian election to the attention of a wider audience in one of his famous TV segments, skewering Berlusconi. Oliver's solution to Italy's unwieldy democracy? Encouraging Italian lawmakers to appoint him: "Incredibly, I am far from your worst option," he joked while cuddling a lamb. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher



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dm/rc (AFP, AP, Reuters)