Bad times for Berlusconi?
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Things are getting dicey for Italy's Silvio Berlusconi - the man known as the Teflon premier. With accusations of yet another scandal breaking just as the PM faces a crucial confidence vote in parliament today, it looks as though his legendary non-stick coating is beginning to wear thin.
Today's vote is a no-confidence motion in Justice Undersecretary Giacomo Caliendo, brought by the opposition after the junior minister was accused of interefering in political and judicial appointments. But it is now being seen as a test of strength for the entire government after Berlusconi's high-profile split with his party cofounder Gianfranco Fini last week.
Parliament Speaker Fini and his 32 rebel MPs have formed a separate parliamentary faction and have enough seats to deprive the government of its majority. They have, however, indicated that they will avoid a head-on confrontation for now by abstaining from today's vote.
Speaking to senators from his People of Freedom Party on Monday, Berlusconi stated that he would push for early elections at the first sign that the bust-up with Fini had weakened his ability to govern.
There is speculation that the prime minister, whose term ends in 2013, may want to trigger early elections in order to stop his erstwhile colleague from building up a large enough support base to become a threat.
Meanwhile, on the eve of the crucial vote, Berlusconi found himself involved in an embarrassing scandal as the press got hold of a prostitute's official statement to anti-corruption investigators, describing an alleged four-in-a-bed romp with the prime minister.
Although the Teflon premier has weathered worse in the past, this news combined with his political woes has analysts wondering whether Berlusconi's is finally losing his shine.
Today's parliamentary vote is technically a no-confidence vote in Justice Undersecretary Giacomo Caliendo, brought by the opposition after the junior minsiter was accused of influence peddling. It is, however, being seen the first major test of strength for Mr Berlusconi since his high profile fallout with party co-founder Gianfranco Fini last week.
The rebel MPs headed by Mr Fini have 33 seats, enough to deprive the prime minister's party of its majority in parliament. They have indicated that they will abstain from today's vote, thus avoiding a head-on clash with the government.
Mr Berlusconi told senators from his People of Freedom party on Monday that he was willing to push for early elections at the first sign that the split with Fini was weakening his ability to govern. There is speculation that the prime minister, whose term ends in 2013, might prefer elections sooner rather than later in order to stop his former colleague building up enough support to challenge him.
