ITALY (2)

It seems as if Italy's politicians have been reading this blog. Suddenly there has been a flurry of calls for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's resignation, and a statement signalling that he will step down, once the current reform package has been passed through Parliament. Mr. Berlusconi won a vote on the budget today, but only because a large number of deputies abstained, the number voting in favour was less than an absolute majority.

If/when Mr. Berlusconi goes, Government is likely to be handed to a group of technocrats until new elections can be held. As in Greece, it seems that some modern countries can't be trusted to be run by politicians.

Walter Blotscher