Berlusconi Ministers Resign in Bid to Force Collapse of Italian Government

[marmar]

Nov. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Four top officials from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s government, including a Cabinet minister, resigned today in a move designed to bring down his administration and possibly trigger early elections.

Four members of the new Future and Liberty for Italy party formed by Speaker of the Chamber Gianfranco Fini sent their letters of resignation to the premier, a spokesman for Deputy Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said. Urso was among those who stepped down.

Fini, who broke with Berlusconi in July to form his new party, called for the premier’s resignation earlier this month after newspaper reports Berlusconi helped secure the release from police custody of a 17-year-old nightclub dancer. The rupture with Fini, co-founder of the premier’s People of Liberty party in 2008, comes at a time parliament is preparing to vote on the government’s 2011 budget plan.

The premier acknowledged the defection of Fini’s allies in an e-mailed statement on Nov. 13 and said he would call confidence votes in both houses of parliament once the budget is passed to see if he has sufficient support to govern. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a3RlcjtPNT94&pos=8

[47of74]

1. The horrible, disgusting Silvio Berlusconi

No wonder the First Lady put the kibosh on him putting on the moves with her.

[Catherina]

2. Rec'd n/t