Berlusconi government 'will fall by Easter'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Independent

Berlusconi government 'will fall by Easter'
By Michael Day in Milan
Thursday, 16 December 2010

Despite a dramatic victory on Tuesday for Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi in a make-or-break confidence vote, one of his ministerial colleagues was yesterday predicting that his government would fall by Easter.


Mr Berlusconi showed his swaggering side following his latest political Houdini act, where he won despite accusations of vote-rigging: "I told you, I knew FLI (the party of centre-right rival Gianfranco Fini) would split," he said, adding: "I am serene now, just as I have always been."

In reality the 74-year-old is scrambling for votes to prop up his lower house majority which has been slashed from 100 to just three since the 2008 election. The weakness of Mr Berlusconi's coalition was underlined by one cabinet colleague. Minister without Portfolio Roberto Caderoli, said: "The government is eating panettone but I don't think it will eat colomba ."

The prime minister's task appeared harder when the centrist UDC party leader Pier Ferdinando Casino, a former Berlusconi ally, appeared to close the door to new dealings with the billionaire media mogul. Stronger links with the UDC would, anyway, anger Mr Berlusconi's right-wing Northern League allies. Mr Berlusconi is also trying to lure back more wavering Fini supporters, as well as non-aligned MPs. "I'm not looking at an agreement with political groups but I'm looking at individual deputies who feel betrayed by Fini, who took them into opposition with the left," Mr Berlusconi said.




Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/berlusconi-government-will-fall-by-easter-2161647.html

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http://i.telegraph.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01489/berlusconi-eyyy_1489087i.jpg

[chaoticsilence]

1. Berlusconi was a supporter of the Iraq war

I hope the news is true.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. He'll be crucified? Where do I buy tickets? -nt

[liberation]

3. To be fair, the real news would be for a government in Italy to last more than 2 years

[bemildred]

4. Why wait? Do it now. nt