Silvio Berlusconi resigned last night. At the end of a very intense day, he presented himself at 20.30 at the Quirinale to hand in his government's resignation to the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, who will immediately start consultations with the aim of appointing Mario Monti and announcing the new government before the markets reopen on Monday morning. Yesterday there was a long meeting between Berlusconi and Monti during which the outgoing prime minister would have insisted on confirmations in the government team of Gianni Letta as deputy prime minister and Nitto Palma as Justice. However, the left is against the confirmations and Letta himself has taken a step back.
Despite the internal divisions, the PDL is giving Monti the go-ahead, but on two conditions: limiting himself to implementing the European commitments and not standing as a candidate in the next elections. On the other hand, the clear no from the League. Yes to the Professor from the centre-left while Di Pietro's possibility grows.
In the meantime, talk is starting about the new government team, which will include many Bocconians. The general manager of the Bank of Italy, Fabrizio Saccomanni (former Bocconian), the rector of Bocconi Guido Tabellini and the former central banker of the ECB, Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, are in the running as head of the Economy. The former Prime Minister Giuliano Amato should go to Foreign Affairs with the task of improving relations with the European chancelleries and above all with the American administration after Berlusconi's blatant arguments with Putin and Libya. The former constitutional judge Mirabelli is in pole position for Justice. Bonino, former colleague of Moni in the European Commission led by Prodi, should go to community policies. Bocconi professors Secchi and Senn are in the running for Development and Infrastructure. Dell'Aringa should go to Welfare.
If it passes Parliament's scrutiny, the new government should be fully empowered by mid-week. New encouragements to the nascent Monti government have come from the American president Obama and the director general of the IMF, Lagarde.
