Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi laid down the gauntlet Friday, noting after a tense summit of his People of Freedom party that new elections could be on the agenda. "Either we get the vote of confidence, or there will be new elections in December," dpa quoted the media tzar and billionaire as threatening. Berlusconi is fighting for survival of his crumbling centre-right coalition. "We are prepared for new elections," he said. He was convinced that more than 50 per cent of voters would back him. The issue at hand was to bring renegades back into the fold, he said. The summit earlier Friday was designed to draft a revamped government programme aimed at wooing back defectors led by the party's co-founder, Gianfranco Fini. Media reports quoted senior People of Freedom officials as saying the programme would then be subjected to a parliamentary vote of confidence, once lawmakers return from their summer break in September. High on Berlusconi's agenda are the reform of the country's judicial system, including measures aimed at shielding the prime minister from future prosecutions, advancing the government's federalist plans, and the economy. But the Northern League, a key coalition ally that has made federalism its raison d'etre, insists Berlusconi should seek a stronger mandate through early elections rather than try to patch up his majority. "It is an open discussion. At the moment one cannot say with certainty whether there will be a positive or a negative outcome," said People of Freedom party whip Fabrizio Cicchitto in an interview with daily La Stampa. Asked if early elections were inevitable, Cicchitto said: "We must first verify whether Fini's people, or at least a majority of them, want to remain faithful to the (outcome of the) vote of 2008," Cicchitto said. Last month Fini, who acts as speaker of parliament's Chamber of Deputies, left the People of Freedom along with about 30 loyalists to form an alternative grouping in parliament. The move has deprived Berlusconi of a solid majority in the lower house. Fini at the time cited dissent over plans to curb the use of wire- tapping by investigators and the premier's failure to crackdown on alleged corruption within government ranks. His FareFuturo (Make the Future) think-tank has since lambasted Berlusconi for blackmailing his political adversaries through his media empire. After Fini's defection, Il Giornale, a daily owned by Berlusconi's brother, carried front-page reports of a shady real estate deal involving a Monte Carlo flat bequeathed to Fini's former party. The newspaper has also started a petition demanding Fini's resignation. Fini, whose criticism of the government has centred on themes of legality and morality, has denied any wrongdoing. Should the government lose a vote of confidence in parliament, Berlusconi would have to resign. However, under Italy's constitution, only the head of state can dissolve parliament and call early elections, and only if party discussions fail to produce an alternative government. Fini, a post-fascist who has in recent years moved to the political centre in a bid to gain power, has been accused by People of Freedom officials of plotting to oust Berlusconi. Berlusconi led the ruling centre-right coalition to a convincing victory in the 2008 general elections. His mandate is due to expire in 2013.
