Berlusconi pressured to resign by former loyalists
Silvio Berlusconi shows the pressure at yesterday’s Euro Summit in Brussels. There is no relief in sight for Italy’s Prime Minister as his colleagues pile pressure on him to take the necessary steps to stave off a possible sovereign debt crisis in Italy.
Greece’s prime minister isn’t the only one in trouble. Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is facing pressure to resign Thursday, as his government crumbles and Italy is still in need of economic reform, Reuters reported.
Berlusconi is up against former parliamentary loyalists calling for a new government. The rebel deputies, one of whom used to be amongst Berlusconi’s closest supporters, have written to him calling for a “new political phase and a new government,” Reuters reported. The letter was published in Italy’s daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Read more at GlobalPost: Berlusconi spent 3 million euros on female admirers
Italy is in a similar boat to Greece; it has felt the weight of the euro zone’s problems and felt the euro crush its economy. Italy’s borrowing costs continue to increase and the country is gets closer to the brink of full-scale emergency. Berlusconi will be presenting an amendment, to a spending bill that was passed last month, next week and seek a confidence vote on the bill, Bloomberg BusinessWeek reported.
Read more at GlobalPost: Scandal-plagued Berlusconi survives once again
Berlusconi isn’t only being asked to quit by his former loyalists, the center-left Democratic Party called for him to step down Tuesday as well.
"We think that next week will be a week in parliament where we try to force the situation if Berlusconi does not resign before," Enrico Letta, deputy general secretary of the party, told Reuters reported.
The PD is the largest opposition group in parliament and continuously calls for Berlusconi to quit, Reuters reported. Due to the economic crisis, they believe they have a shot at beating him.
Read more at GlobalPost: Berlusconi still refusing to resign