Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi confirmed today that
he would stand down after a new budget law is approved in
parliament.
"After the approval of this finance law, which has amendments
for everything which Europe has asked of us and which the
Eurogroup has requested, I will resign, to allow the head of
state to open consultations," he told his own Canale 5
television.
The comment, which confirmed an earlier statement from
President Giorgio Napolitano, came after his centre-right
coalition failed to secure a majority in a crucial vote in
the lower house, securing only 308 votes in the 630-seat
chamber.
"This parliament today is paralysed, as far as the lower
house is concerned," he said.
"In the Senate, the centre-right still has a good majority.
However with the defection of seven members of the ruling
majority today, the government does not have the majority we
thought we had and so we have to take account of this
situation realistically,"
He said Italy was in a "difficult position" with regard to
financial markets and had to demonstrate that it was capable
of serious reforms. He added that the only realistic option
as far as he could see was new elections.
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