Silvio Berlusconi’s last day as Prime Minister
Italians will today live the end of an era as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is expected to hand in his resignation.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will hand in his resignation today
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will hand in his resignation today after Parliament discusses a package of economic reforms aimed at reversing a collapse of market confidence.
The package, which will be approved, will mark Berlusconi's final act as Prime Minister of Italy. He is expected to hold a last cabinet meeting and then go to the Quirinale Palace and hand his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano.
The new technocrat government, headed by former European Commissioner Mario Monti, is expected to be formed Sunday night or Monday morning. Reportedly, Berlusconi's resignation has finally prompted healthy reactions from the stock and bond markets.
The Italian Prime Minister's decision has received support from European leaders, including France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Christian Wulff. All three agreed that the new measures must be implemented quickly as Italy's economic situation was worrying the eurozone.
