For some months, predictions earlier this year of a fracture within Silvio Berlusconi's coalition had seemed misplaced. But after a week of acrimonious confusion bordering on outright chaos, it now seems they were just premature. At the root of the government's problems lie two things: Italy's glum economy and Mr Berlusconi's pledge before coming to power in 2001 to cut income tax. The prime minister's legal battles-his trial in a judge-bribing case may produce a verdict against him in December-also keep dogging his government.
展开▼
