London ( CNN ) -- Latin goodbyes sometimes lack the finality of Anglo-Saxon ones . In Italian , for instance , the expression `` arrivederci '' does n't mean a definite adieu but rather `` until we meet again . '' Yet even in Italy there are occasions when people want their farewells to be lasting , as the country 's ultimate comeback king may finally have to concede . After being convicted for tax fraud and facing more legal woes for cavorting with an underage call girl , Silvio Berlusconi will likely be banned from public office soon . A desperate attempt by the three-time prime minister to thwart a vote on his exclusion backfired in spectacular fashion , when even his anointed heir refused to follow orders and torpedo the government . The message to Berlusconi this time was not just `` goodbye , '' but `` good riddance . '' Still , as lifelong opponents prepare to raise a glass to a fresh era , one ca n't help but wonder what this new Italy will look like without its familiar Silvio sideshow . READ MORE : Monti says Berlusconi will not be part of Italian parliament again . If the 77-year-old 's antics were a welcome distraction from the country 's slide down the world league tables , then what vision -- if any -- will this disparate bunch of successors have ? Since rising to prominence during the power vacuum that followed Italy 's corruption scandals in the 1990s , Berlusconi has dominated the political and business arena for more than two decades . His detractors will say he has done countless damage to their nation 's reputation and taken a wrecking ball to its economy -- leaving generations to come with a hefty price to pay . READ MORE : The end for 'Il Cavaliere ' ? Furthermore , Berlusconi has undermined the rule of law by pursuing a personal vendetta against the judiciary and used parliament to pass bills that protected his interests . But for all his pantomime charades at home and abroad , one has to acknowledge the ex-premier has earned some quiet respect for at least staying the course . He may have been a polarizing figure but that cheeky charisma and flagrant disregard for the rules left no one unaware of who he was . Sly old Silvio , for all his schoolboy jokes , held together some of the longest-serving governments in the history of the Italian Republic and though his agenda today may not tally with that of a serious country , his party 's latest incarnation won a third of the vote at the last elections . In Italy , one quickly learns that few actually admit to supporting Berlusconi yet each time the country votes his followers flock to the ballot box in droves . READ MORE : A look at Berlusconi 's life . The truth is in years gone by Berlusconi 's confidence and swagger were contagious . His secret : In the absence of any committed opposition to appeal to voters ' guilty pleasures , even if that meant offending everyone from ethnic minorities to Angela Merkel along the way . Millions of Italians were lulled into a false sense of security by the kind of populist rhetoric only the really , really rich like Berlusconi can spout with a straight face . But in an age when Italy needs to re-establish its credibility and pay off its debts his views are outdated , vacuous and inappropriate . The tycoon 's recent attempt to jeopardize his country 's future wellbeing merely to save his fading political career was nakedly selfish and fatally misjudged . It bore the hallmarks of an increasingly desperate septuagenarian who faces the prospect of retirement with fear and dread . Not even the prospect of a fiancee almost 50 years his junior will be enough to keep him at home , much to Italy 's chagrin . Even if he is ejected from the state 's decision-making bodies , it 's unlikely what 's left of Berlusconi 's clout will disappear overnight . His vast media empire will lobby from behind the scenes in print and on TV , employing guerrilla tactics to undermine the tough austerity Italy 's new leaders must pursue if they have a hope of fixing its perilous finances . And so , as Berlusconi contemplates his future and a year 's sentence under possible house arrest , the Italians may have finally realized this entertaining former leader is no longer good for their country . What they certainly know though is life will be more mundane without him .
Silvio Berlusconi , Italy 's ultimate comeback king , might finally be out of politics for good . Nina dos Santos says the political message is now more than just goodbye -- this time it 's good riddance . For all his pantomime charades however , he did earn some respect for staying the course . But Italians appear to have finally realized he is no longer good for the country .