The Portuguese media group Impresa (owner of SIC and Expresso) is facing severe financial distress following a massive €66 million loss in 2024.
The Italian media group MFE (MediaForEurope), controlled by the Berlusconi family, took a 32.934% stake in Portugal's Impresa. This strategic investment was carried out through a capital increase of around €17.3 million.
Impresa was forced to expand its administrative board to integrate members chosen by the Italians, while the "Balsemão family" remained the majority shareholder (approx. 33.7%) and chose the CEO.
The partnership focuses on immediate collaboration in advertising sales and developing digital platforms, expanding MFE's footprint in the Iberian Peninsula.
A thorny issue, however, is likely to arise, related to the hostility that the Impresa group often displays towards Jews and the Jewish state. Its media outlets, such as Expresso and SIC, have faced criticism over how they cover Middle Eastern affairs and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"If you think Jesus was Palestinian, keep watching SIC Notícias," stated recently the Israeli Embassy in Portugal. Also the Porto Jewish Community, the world leader in cultural terms, has historically accused the mainstream media including Expresso and SIC of being part of coordinated "soviet-style" anti-semitic campaigns.
In turn, the Berlusconi family and MFE (formerly Mediaset) reflect a strong, historical stance of support for Israel and the Jewish community, largely driven by the late founder Silvio Berlusconi’s personal geopolitics and his ideological alliance with center-right Israeli figures like Benjamin Netanyahu.
Berlusconi was an ardent advocate for Israel, frequently calling the Jewish people the "elder brothers" of Christian Europe and controversially proposing that Israel should be admitted to the European Union. The news and political talk shows across MFE's networks (such as Canale 5, Rete 4, and Italia 1) generally reflect this Atlanticist and pro-Western orientation. Coverage typically emphasizes a pro-Israel narrative, highlighting Israel's security concerns and framing the nation as a vital democratic ally in the Middle East.
