ROME, Italy -- It could be back to the future for Silvio Berlusconi -- and Italy as well.

Speculation was rife Thursday that the 75-year-old former Italian prime minister -- who resigned from office under intense pressure last November after it became clear he could not tackle the economic crisis that brought the country to the verge of defaulting  -- was mulling a comeback.

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It would be quite an about-face for the billionaire media mogul -- known for his oversized ego, hunger for power and lavish lifestyle -- who said earlier this year that he would not run in the next national elections in 2013.

Still, Berlusconi is a survivor. He did not step down despite having been a defendant in dozens of trials for corruption and abuse of office. He was defiant in the face of international embarrassment after details of his private parties, complete with showgirls dancing on poles in skimpy clothes or dressed up as nuns, leaked out. He did not falter even when he was accused of having paid an under-aged girl for sex.

So could he finally give up his political ambitions for good because he was accused of having brought his country to the edge of economic disaster?

Apparently not.

Political pantomime
The biggest Italian daily, Corriere della Sera, says the former prime minister has decided to try to become prime minister for the fourth time in 20 years after polls revealed that his popularity was still strong among right-wing voters.

Italy stats office can't function after spending cuts

According to a survey, published by Euromedia Research, votes for his party would triple if he ran as its candidate. The poll showed that the party would claim only 8 to 12 percent of the overall vote if Berlusconi stayed out of politics, but the proportion would shoot to 28 percent if he returned as a leader.

But just a few months ago, it seemed that the vast majority of Italian voters had grown tired of the former prime minister’s political pantomime made-up of jokes, girls and promises.  Indeed, on the Nov. 12, the day Berlusconi went to the president’s palace to offer his resignation, he was greeted by an angry crowd shouting insults and chanting "Hallelujah!"

Berlusconi soon disappeared in the political background, mostly agreeing with anything Mario Monti, the technocratic prime minister who replaced him, did to fix the country’s ailing economy.

Woman dressed as Obama for Berlusconi, court told

Retains party support
Another thing that Berlusconi has working in his favor is the support of his closest ally, Angelino Alfano, the new party secretary. Alfano, who was presented at a party conference as Berlusconi's political heir, received news of a possible comeback enthusiastically even though such a development would mean he would lose the chance to run as prime minister.

"Many are asking him to run," Alfano told the daily La Repubblica. "If he does, I will stand by his side and will support him all the way."

But to the opposition, Berlusconi's "I'll be back" sounds scarier than Arnold Schwarzenegger threatening to come return for more mayhem in "Terminator."

Many analysts blame Berlusconi for precipitating the economic crisis by delaying much needed but unpopular reforms in the job and pensions sectors, and fear that his return will send investor’s confidence in Italy's economy back to rock bottom.

Whether Italian voters think the same, only the outcome of the 2013 election will say.

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The plan to remove the massive wreck of Costa Concordia, which lies half submerged off the Italian island of Giglio after capsizing in January, was revealed Friday in Rome. At least 30 people died after the ship ran aground.

In an unprecedented effort, American-owned Titan Salvage is working with Italian firm Micoperi, and will use pulling machines connected to a custom-built subsea platform to hoist the hull upright in one piece. The firms won the right to perform the work during a months-long bidding process.

The first step is stabilizing the ship to prevent further slippage down the sloped sea bed on which it rests. That is expected to take about a year, Costa said in a statement. This will be achieved by attaching "tieback chains" from the submerged part of the ship -- starboard side, closest to shore -- to a structure built nearby.

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After Concordia is stabilized, the subsea platform will be built along the port side -- the non-submerged side -- and huge caissons, in essence steel boxes, will be welded to the exposed side of the ship. The caissons will be filled with water. "This gives the ship extra buoyancy," explained Mark Hoddinott, general manager of the International Salvage Union. "Caissons have the effect of making the ship wider, and the water will add mass, which improves the 'turning moment' to bring it upright."

Pulling machines will then be connected to the subsea platform, and two cranes fixed to the platform will pull Concordia upright -- facilitated by the water-filled caissons. The ship will still be flooded, so it won't float; instead it will rest on the platform. When the ship is upright, caissons will be welded to the starboard side of the hull. The caissons on both sides will then be de-ballasted -- after treating and purifying the water to protect the marine environment -- and filled with air.

"This strategy has been used on a smaller scale by both the US and Royal Navy," added Hoddinott. "But no one has removed a ship of this size." Concordia is 950 feet long and weighs 44,612 metric tons (or nearly 100 million pounds), according to Titan-Micoperi.

Once upright, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port and dealt with in accordance with the requirements of Italian authorities. Gianni Onorato, Costa Crociere S.p.A. president, told Cruise Critic in early May that the ship will ultimately be scrapped.

No details on the cost of the project have been officially released, but a Costa spokesman told CNN that the figure could exceed $300 million.

According to today's statement from Costa, the "one piece" approach -- rather than slicing the ship up and barging it off bit by bit -- will "minimize environmental impact, protect Giglio's economy and tourism industry, and maximize safety." After the ship is removed, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted.

While the project is ongoing, the operation base will be located on the mainland near Piombino, where equipment and materials will be stored. This will mitigate impact on the island's port activities and leave Giglio's hotels open for tourists during the peak summer season.

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ASOLO, Italy – On Tuesday, Generoso Armenante, a 49-year-old former security guard at a convenience store in the southern town of Salerno, left home after having lunch with his wife – and quietly found a secluded spot where he hanged himself. 

Armenante had been fired more than a year ago, and had been struggling to find another job ever since. Next to his body he left a letter: “I decided to end it because I am a failure. I can’t live without work.” 

Unfortunately, he is not alone. Tens of other Italians have also chosen to take their own lives in response to the strain of the economic crisis and the consequent austerity measures. 

On Tuesday, two other people committed suicide, apparently due to financial hardship. A 60-year-old businessman in Milan hanged himself from a tree after failing to repay his debts.

And a 64-year-old bricklayer in Salerno, who lost his job around Christmas, shot himself in the chest. He left a similar message: “I can’t live without a job.”

The three men are casualties of the debt crisis that has pushed Italy’s economy to the brink over the past year and put considerable strain on most Italians, especially those who own or work for small businesses. At least 34 people have killed themselves citing economic reasons since the start of the year, according to the Italian Association of Small Businesses. 

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‘If my business fails, I fail with it’
A dramatic hike in taxes, combined with large cuts in public spending, a clampdown on tax evasion and a credit crunch from banks have pushed many Italian businesses to the brink of bankruptcy. 

Some have stuck to the old Italian script, griping about the government measures at the local cafe over a cappuccino and hoping for better times. But others have seen no way out, and have opted for death.  

The most affected region is the relatively prosperous Veneto in the northeast of Italy, home of Venice and an abundance of businessmen. 

In a part of the country that has had a reputation for skilled merchants since Venice was a maritime republic, as many as one in 10 own their own business. Some of the most recognized Italian brands, such as Benetton and Diesel, originate from the area. 

“My business is like my family,” Massimo Zappia, who owns a window frame business in Asolo, a town about 20 miles north of Venice, told NBC News. “I feel responsible for each of my employees. If my business fails, I fail with it.” 

Zappia, 42, blames the credit crisis for some of his woes as a small business owner.  “These days it takes six months for banks to make their mind up for small loans of just a few thousand dollars. And as a businessman, I feel left alone.” 

Struggling to ‘soldier on’
This feeling of failure and loneliness is at the very heart of acts of desperation among the business community in Italy. The message left by Armenante, the security guard who hanged himself on Tuesday is the same mantra repeated by workers and businessmen who either tried to kill themselves and lived to tell the tale or by those who thought about trying, but found other reasons to live. 

Giovanni, who is in his mid-40s and also lives in Asolo, admits that he thought about ending his life after failing to repay a debt of $25,000. The self-employed plumber, who asked that his last name not be used, told NBC News that he only stopped himself because he didn’t want his family to pay for his mistakes, adding that he has a disabled son and a wife with a history of psychological problems.

“It was a dark moment, and I thought there was no way out,” he said. “They strangled me economically; I just can’t keep up with repayments. I got to the point where I couldn’t go back home and look at my wife and children in the eyes, and tell them I didn’t know how to carry on,” he said. 

“There are moments when you think that there is an easy way out. It only takes a moment to die. But then you think of your family and you realize you can’t. You just need to soldier on.”

To help ease the problem, a workers’ association near Asolo started a helpline for people in distress. They received at least 60 calls in their first two months of activity, but say that it’s worried families who tend to call rather than the businessmen themselves. 

“It’s their wives that call the most, because businessmen around here are very proud,” said Stefano Zanatta, president of Confartigianato Veneto, a local business association. “They wouldn’t admit to having a problem until it becomes so big they can’t tackle it anymore.”

Some, however, do call. “Once we got a call from a businessman who couldn’t even afford to send his daughter to school,” Zanatta said. “We offer them psychological support and financial advice before it’s too late.” 

Zanatta says that he expected a dramatic hike in the number of calls during the month of June. That’s the deadline for filing tax returns in Italy, and the time when many businessmen may realize they just can’t survive the economic crisis.  

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ROME – Among the many derogatory nicknames Silvio Berlusconi’s detractors came up, one was "Burlesconi," a way to emphasize his propensity for gaffes and tendency to adopt sexist and inappropriate humor.

But as usually happens with the flamboyant former Italian prime minister, truth is stranger than fiction.

On Friday Berlusconi, 75, made a rare appearance at the trial in which he stands accused of having sex with an under-aged prostitute known as “Ruby the Heart-Stealer” during one of his now infamous “Bunga Bunga” parties, sex-fueled revelries that allegedly took place at his private residence in Milan.

And suddenly, burlesque had a lot more to do with him than his detractors could have ever dreamed of. 

While the trial officially started at the end of last year, it has already offered a fly-on-the-wall peek into Berlusconi’s scandalous private life, with lurid details revealing an impressive partying lifestyle that would be trying for a man a third his age.

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On Monday Imane Fadil, one of the models who was invited to Berlusconi’s “elegant dinners,” as he called them, testified in court. She said that she personally saw women dressed as nuns don their habits and crucifixes before they jumped on a pole where they performed some very unholy dance moves.

Another model, Fadil said, wore a mask of Ronaldinho, a famous soccer player from AC Milan, the Italian team owned by Berlusconi, before she kicked off her skirt down to her G-string.

Witness: Italian ex-PM Berlusconi hosted strippers dressed as nuns

Gifts from Gadhafi
On Friday, the former prime minister, and currently still the leader of the biggest political coalition in the Italian lower house of parliament, clarified once and for all some of what happened.

Speaking to journalists in Milan's High Court after the hearing, Berlusconi described what he saw in detail. "I remember seeing a woman dressed as a policeman, one as a nurse and another one as Father Christmas ... those were dresses that I received as presents from Gadhafi," Berlusconi said. (See a video published on the website of Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper. He's speaking in Italian).

"[Gadhafi] gave them to me when I went to Tripoli for an expo on Libya's fashion. I saw those dresses and told him I liked them, so he sent them to me," he said.

A little later, he again spoke with journalists, this time outside the courtroom in Milan. “They were dressed up, some as policemen, but it was only a burlesque contest.” 

He insisted that the girls were guests of innocent dinners dominated by an atmosphere of joy, serenity and conviviality.

“Sometimes,” he specified, “the girls would follow me to the house theater room,” a room formerly used by his sons as a private discotheque.

“Women are exhibitionists by nature,” Berlusconi said. “And if they work in show business, they are even more exhibitionists. They like putting up shows and they decided to compete in a burlesque show.”

When asked if he was a judge of the show, he replied: “No, but I watched with interest. I had a lot of fun, and will continue to have fun.”

(See video of Berlusconi’s comments to journalists outside the courtroom. He’s speaking in Italian).

And there is the irony of it all.

While the admission by any current or former prime minister of a European country that they held a burlesque contest with half-naked women dressed as nuns and policemen would be enough to end their political career shamefully, Berlusconi seems somehow different. His list of alleged felonies, including sex scandals, tax frauds and abuse of office, has now become so long that confessing to organizing a strippers competition, at the end of the day, seems not so bad.

The trial continues, and with more revelations expected from witnesses, the former prime minister’s private life will soon be stripped naked. Nothing more appropriate, for a man dubbed Burlesconi.

GIGLIO, Italy -- When Father Lorenzo first saw the Costa Concordia last Friday evening, it was near Giglio's harbor.

The cruise liner looked beautiful but he remembers thinking it was far too close and didn't seem to be moving. When he looked a little later he knew there was an emergency: The bow seemed to be lifting out of the water. What followed has been an extraordinary week for this small island with a winter population of just a few hundred.

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The Lorenzo e Mamiliano Church stands tall on a hill set back from the waterfront. Father Lorenzo believes it is symbolic that the church was the first building seen by the Costa Concordia's frightened passengers as they struggled ashore.

• SLIDESHOW: Cruise ship Costa Concordia runs aground

Soon enough a stream of survivors snaked its way to the church doors. Wet, scared and confused, most had no idea what had happened or where they were.

Through the night and into Sunday the church, school and kindergarten offered shelter. Local residents opened their homes, too. "This was the wonderful thing," says the padre.

Some needed spiritual guidance, others technological - and Father Lorenzo was able to help with both by offering prayers for survivors and his computer so they could reach friends and family on Skype.

• STORY: Rescuers flee capsized liner after it shifts

The help continues. On Thursday, two sets of parents sat on his front pew. Their son and daughter were a French couple in their mid twenties who had been enjoying their first holiday together. Away from the noise of the harbor where police, salvage teams and journalists gather, the church was one of the few private places where they could quietly reflect on the lives that have been lost here.

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GIGLIO ISLAND, Italy – Moving along the harbor wall, in the shadow of the half-submerged Costa Concordia, Kevin Rebello told me he still has hope that his brother Russel Rebello will be found safe and sound, five days after the cruise liner hit a rock and capsized off the Tuscan coast. “I am 100 percent sure,” Kevin said.

The two brothers hail from Bombay, India, but Russel was working as a waiter on the ship. He was last seen helping passengers off the crashed vessel. He had no life jacket and was working with other crew members to lower rescue boats.

It's an optimistic view of survival that is not shared by many on this island. Nobody has been pulled alive since Sunday and today is expected to bring a shift in efforts – from rescue to salvage.

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Russel’s name appears on Italian authorities list of 28 passengers, including four crew members, still missing. More than 4,200 people were aboard the ship when the accident happened. So far, officials have confirmed 11 dead.

The Costa Concordia has 500,000 gallons of fuel which could take weeks to remove. But for the moment little can be done. Overnight the vessel moved slightly and divers had to be pulled off for their own safety. So far they have not been back.

On Tuesday divers blasted holes in the hull to gain access to parts of the ship that have so far remained blocked. Five bodies were removed. As Kevin is no doubt aware, they had life jackets on and it's unlikely they were crew members; they have not been identified yet.

The lack of progress in the last 24 hours is certainly not due to lack of effort. Earlier, one of the search commanders was treated after collapsing from exhaustion and in the cafeterias and make-shift rest areas the tiredness shows on the faces of the rescue workers.

So now everyone here is waiting. For the next stage in the salvage effort or the possibility of an incoming storm that could bring six-foot waves and further disrupt things. For Kevin – he is waiting for any news about his brother at all.

Helping him stay positive is the knowledge that his brother's last known actions were helping others. “I am very proud of him,” he said. “That's the most important thing. The crew are the real heroes.”

Related link: Concordia reportedly took ill-fated route before
Check msnbc.com's Overhead Bin for full coverage of the cruise ship accident

By Claudio Lavanga, NBC News producer

ROME — Saturday could be the last day of Silvio Berlusconi's time as prime minister of Italy, and the first day of the rest of his life as one of the richest retirees on earth — or a convict.

On paper, the 74-year-old Berlusconi could retire gracefully. As a businessman, he has amassed a multi-billion-dollar fortune through his television, editorial and property empires, and he is spoiled for choice for his retirement home.

He could move back to his beloved Villa San Martino, a former monastery turned into lavish residence in the outskirts of Milan, and escape the harsh winters of the northern Italian city by relaxing in the stunning Villa Certosa, his summer residence on the island of Sardinia.

There, he could spend days admiring nature, the fireworks from the fake volcano he had built in his gardens to entertain his guests, and finally indulge in the presence of the many topless women who were photographed at the villa during his premiership — without having to apologize for it.

But Silvio Berlusconi is not a man who likes to rest. He admits he doesn’t sleep longer than three hours a night, and in the past two decades he has proved he possesses an enviable stamina for a man his age.

Should he feel restless, he could always watch a game of his beloved A.C. Milan, the top Italian soccer team he owns, or organize one of his infamous 'bunga bunga' parties, allegedly his favorite after-dinner pastime, without worrying about the public sentiment over it.

But there is another, less pleasant alternative: He could spend the rest of his life in prison.

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'Ruby the heart-stealer'
Berlusconi is still a defendant in three different trials. He is being charged with corruption, abuse of office, and famously for having slept with a 17-year old prostitute dubbed “Ruby the heart-stealer.”

Should he be found guilty of all charges, he could potentially spend more than 15 years in prison, and say goodbye to 'bunga bunga'.

And yet Berlusconi might not be losing any of those three hours of sleep over it.

While in office, his government lowered the statute of limitations, effectively the expiration date for legal proceedings, prompting suspicions that it was yet another attempt to save himself from his legal woes. And it might have worked.

One of the most damaging accusations, that of having bribed British tax lawyer David Mills to lie under oath in two previous corruption trials against him, will fall under the new statute of limitations in January 2012, potentially sparing Berlusconi the embarrassment and prison term that would come with a guilty verdict.

Another case — in which he and other executives are accused of buying U.S. movie rights at inflated prices via two offshore companies under his control — will expire in 2014, which is probably too soon for the famously slow legal Italian system to prove his guilt.

Another masterstroke by Berlusconi during his time in office was the attempt in 2010 to introduce a law that granted immunity to top government officials, including himself.

That law was overturned by Italy’s constitutional court in 2011, but it still bought some precious time for the embattled premier.

Too busy for court
So what will change from Saturday, when he is expected to step down?

His biggest problem will be trying to delay further trial proceeding by using the last card in his hand: Claiming he was too busy with institutional commitments to attend court hearings, the famous “legitimate impediment.”

This will no doubt speed up the three trials that he has so far managed to dodge.

And yet, rather than worrying about his own future, Berlusconi has proved that in the last few days in parliament that he is worried more about his sons and daughters.

He introduced in one bill, which was drawn to tackle Italy’s economic crisis, a new inheritance law that allows him to choose how to spread his wealth after his death.

He is believed to want to favor the offspring of his first marriage over the sons and daughters he had with his estranged second wife, Veronica Lario, who left him in 2009 claiming she could “no longer be with a man who consorts with minors.”

It is a worthy final act for a prime minister who has been accused throughout his career of caring more about his interests than those of the nation.

It is believed that while Rome burned, the emperor Nero played a string instrument called a Lyre. In the case of the colorful Silvio Berlusconi, most Italians feel they were played by him while they watched their country fall into ruin.

By Claudio Lavanga, NBC News Producer

ROME – “Sic transit gloria mundi” is a Latin phrase that means "Thus passes the glory of the world.”
 
It is the phrase Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi used to describe the death of Col. Moammar Gadhafi, the late Libyan leader who once was a personal friend and political ally.  
 
Ironically, Italians are now using this Latinism on social networks like Twitter and Facebook to wave Berlusconi goodbye a day after he announced he will resign once both houses of parliament approve financial reforms.
 
It is a final epitaph for a prime minister whose government has been dead in the water for months. 
 
Italians woke up on Wednesday morning to the real prospect that, after 17 years, the curtain may finally go down on Berlusconi’s political roadshow. And they had plenty of opinions on his allegedly imminent exit. 

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'Champagne is in the fridge'
"It's too late. He waited too long and still he is not gone yet. He is taking his time to figure out how to play one of his tricks, like passing a few more laws to protect him from his legal problems,” said Eleonora Torchia, an unemployed teacher.

“The champagne is in the fridge, but we'll wait for the day he goes for real before we open it,” Torchia added.
 
She, as others, suspected the prime minister, who has broken his promises in the past, is just buying time to pave the way for the future of his party and will go on his own terms.

"I don't believe he will leave. He is too attached to his throne. I'll believe it when I see it,” said
Cristian Maceri, another Roman.

Tana de Zulueta, a journalist and a former member of the Italian parliament, was also extremely doubtful that Berlusconi was truly motivated to do what was best for the country.

“He is just buying time in the relentless drive to take care of his businesses before he goes. He wants to stuff the reforms with laws that would help his companies and himself and make sure that one of his men becomes prime minister next,” said Zulueta. “The markets have seen this clearly, they don't believe he's going to go anytime soon."

The world markets did tumble in early trading on Wednesday amid fears that Italy’s debt woes could push Europe’s third largest economy to the brink. 
 
Others didn’t waste time to post sarcastic depictions of the prime minister online, such as the poster of “Dimission Impossible,” in which Berlusconi’s face is placed over Tom Cruise’s in a classic Mission Impossible movie pose.
 
Even Berlusconi would find this funny and appropriate, because there is no doubt that his was an action-packed political career, and he has always liked to be seen as some sort of hero that would carry Italy into the next century.  
 
Instead, Italy is quickly heading back to the dark ages of economic instability, and his star power is fading quicker than Arnold Schwarzenegger when it became clear that he was better at fighting indestructible robots than California’s economic downfalls.

Time up
“The show is over,” a receptionist at the Albergo Nazionale Hotel next to the Lower House of Parliament said on Wednesday. And his might be much more than a metaphor.
 
Berlusconi has been without a doubt the ultimate showman of Italian politics. He managed to use his flamboyant personality to convince millions of Italians that he was one of them: A self-made man with no shame to admit a taste for beautiful women, funny jokes and a disregard for the law.  
 
Among the many nicknames he was given, one was “The Great Communicator,” and for a good reason. He managed to turn from a rich businessman into prime minister in a matter of months, by using his private television network and editorial empire to promote his candidacy and his political ideas.
 
Looking back at one of his first political TV ads back in 1994 one can see why Italians were taken by him. He was the image of a polished politician – complete with a reassuring aura created by professional lighting technicians and a white smile that could have been used for a toothpaste advertisement – he looked straight at them, in the comfort of their own houses.

Compared to the boring, dusty image of “same old, same old” politicians, his image at the time was an instant winner. That kept him in power for 17 long years.
 
Berlusconi’s remarkable story is now in the closing credits. But they will last at least a few days if not weeks because just like every other silver screen hero, Berlusconi won’t go down without one last fight.

By NBC News’ Claudio Lavanga

ROME – Just as the ancient Roman senators turned against the Emperor Caesar on the eve of his assassination in 44 B.C., Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi seems to be heading for a similar, yet bloodless, backstabbing in his own government that could lead to a swift downfall of his political empire.

Under pressure from European leaders tired of hearing empty promises, thousands of Italians protesting (sometimes violently) against his austerity measures, a fierce political opposition looking for a chance to make a fatal blow and the voiced concerns of Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano over his ability to pass reforms, an embattled Berlusconi is quickly being abandoned by his allies.

On Thursday, two members of Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party left his ranks to join the opposition. Four more asked him to resign for the sake of Italy’s future, after he has appeared incapable of introducing reforms aimed at calming market speculation, reducing the budget deficit, kick-starting growth and fixing Italy’s enormous sovereign debt.

With a razor-thin majority in the lower house of parliament, every parliamentarian’s vote counts.

Six of them could mean survival or defeat for Berlusconi.

Given Berlusconi’s political survival skills, it’s impossible to predict what might happen.

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"You would need a crystal ball to figure out what's coming next,” said Giovanni Orsina, a political analyst and professor of European studies at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome, during a phone interview with NBC on Friday. “But the impression is talking about Berlusconi is like talking about a terminally ill patient. You don't know how long he's got: One day, one week, even one month maybe.”

Orsina pointed out the Berlusconi is so unpopular now, he can’t rely on his old supporters. “One thing seems to be certain: Every time parliament will be called to vote, could be the last day for Berlusconi as prime minister. Because his majority is so reduced, now he has no guarantees."

More of the usual political merry-go-round?
And yet this could just be the latest round of blackmailing that opposition leaders like Antonio Di Pietro, founder of the Italy of Values party, say has become a regular part of daily Italian politics. He and other members of the opposition accuse Berlusconi of repaying the support of disgruntled members of his governing coalition with promotions, funds and favors.

“The selling, buying and blackmailing of politicians is part of a criminal plan that Berlusconi is using to preserve the majority in parliament,” Di Pietro said in October. “It’s like being in a pigsty, where parliamentarians don’t answer to the electorate anymore, and instead they sell their vote to the highest bidder.”

But it’s impossible to know whether the “rebels” among Berlusconi’s allies are trying to save Italy or themselves. When approached by a journalist on Thursday evening, one of the four remaining would-be defectors, Giorgio Straquadanio, threatened him verbally and later smashed the cameraman’s spotlight on the pavement.

The doling out of political favors by the government is one of the many problems that have prevented Italy’s lower house of parliament from reaching the standards of stability, seriousness and political honesty seen elsewhere in Europe.

Italy’s democracy is relatively new. Since it became a parliamentarian republic in 1946, Italy’s political system has been a merry-go-round of politicians who have gravitated in and around parliament, swapping seats but never leaving the carousel. This has created a stagnant political culture in which elected parliamentarians stop answering to the electorate the moment they step into one of the two houses of parliament, where they often use their voting power as a token that can be traded to buy their way into privileges and more power.

The fragmented party system hasn’t helped create order either. Small parties are born almost  daily, usually founded by spin-off politicians who want to grab a piece of the political limelight, only to be engulfed by one of the two ruling coalitions, the center-left and the center-right.

Although the political scene is dominated by the center-right People of Freedom Party and the center-left Democratic Party, the Italian parliament is a galaxy of raising and falling political stars that threaten the equilibrium of the whole political system.   

The latest political stars, the four members of the coalition who have threatened to defect, could well lead Berlusconi into a black hole he will never be able to re-emerge from.

Just one vote could spell the end
At the last vote of confidence, one of many the prime minister has had to endure since he was re-elected in 2008, he won with 316 votes. That’s the exact number he needs to hold an absolute majority in Parliament, meaning that even one vote, one single backstabber, one disgruntled sniper, could bring him down the next time he is called to convince the parliament, as well as millions of Italians and worried European leaders, that he still has the numbers to get his tough austerity measures approved.

That day will come soon. He has already announced that he will ask for yet another vote of confidence sometimes in the middle of November.

Even for a master businessman and negotiator like Berlusconi, there might be not enough time to strike deals with the defecting ranks among his coalition partners.

Knives are already out. The die might be cast already.