(Image Source: CountryBred )

BY ORKIDE IZCI
ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Scandal. Corruption. Bizarre comments. Has Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lost his country’s confidence? A vote Friday will determine if Berlusconi has enough support to rule.
Euronews has more:

“The Italian prime minister has called for a confidence vote on his government. The move by Silvio Berlusconi comes after he lost a routine parliamentary vote on the country’s budget on Tuesday. He says he's sure that he will win the confidence vote...”

For his part -- Mr. Berlusconi doesn’t appear worried. The Daily Mail quotes the prime minister as saying there’s no alternative to his government.

“I am here with my majority to testify that Italy can make it and will make it. We will beat this strategy of pessimism and close the door to the crisis, to the pessimists who are working against the country.”

Those “pessimists” are growing. Thousands of Italians continue to protest against Mr. Berlusconi’s government. Al Jazeera has the details.

“Demonstrations against the government have become a weekly occurrence since the approval of a punishing austerity budget implemented late this summer ... The constant protests could be proof that the electorate, at least, has already lost confidence in him.”

Opposition leaders want Mr. Berlusconi to resign. And The Economist reports, even his allies’ support may be waning.
 

“The key is whether his humiliation in parliament was the result of a cock-up or a conspiracy... Government officials may well be right when they insist that the latest upset was an accident. But there are now so many disgruntled lawmakers in the ranks of the majority that it was an accident waiting to happen -- and one that could happen again.”

Which has set the stage for this latest showdown. Italian President Giorgio Napolitanohas the power to dissolve Parliament. He says Berlusconi must prove if he has the confidence of the majority. The Wall Street Journal notes...
 

“Mr. Napolitano said he had remained impartial 'until now,' but that recent bickering in the coalition had led him to question whether the government can address 'the country's most urgent problems,' including Italy's 'European commitments.'”

But Guy Dinmore of The Financial Times suggests, even if he gets the confidence vote, his administration may be irreparably damaged.

“When the prime minister and his finance minister are not on the same page, then there is little point in the government soldiering on.”