The mechanism that was introduced to insulate the governor from political interference is now protecting the governor in a case where he has lost completely credibility.

Ciampi can't start the ball rolling yet; first there has to be a new parliament. The parties have to agree on a new president, and that new president then starts the process of appointing a new prime minister. There's no way of knowing how long all this will take.

Berlusconi no longer has the necessary resources, in terms of image and credibility, to turn the situation around, ... he is the glue that keeps the coalition together.

Berlusconi today is a problem, but he is also the only possible solution for his coalition.

There is no personality external to the coalition that they can turn to. There is no leader inside the coalition who can replace Berlusconi without starting relentless conflicts.

The big issue is how this country can be governed by such a slim majority.

Unless there's a sweeping victory by one side or the other, there's going to be a razor-thin majority in the Senate. And coalitions will be less united with this system than they were before.