Fini's new group, Future and Liberty for Italy, has presently 33 deputies and 10 Senators. Although Fini's group will continue to belong to the majority, without their vote on bills, Berlusconi no longer has a majority. This makes it very difficult to force confidence votes on key legislation.

Berlusconi presently cannot risk resigning without backroom bargaining with other political forces such as Casini's Center Democrats. Casini, who has more price tags on him than a Walmart giveaway, does not have the numbers to substitute Fini. In theory parliament could simply express another majority which excludes Berlusconi's personal political entity without resorting to elections. Appeal to popular will is just hot air. There are no constitutional grounds for curtailing the legislature at the moment.

As for Fini resigning as President (Speaker) of the House, it's out of the question. On the contrary, the House President was traditionally chosen among opposition members until Berlusconi reversed that practice in 1994 by electing a 27 year old dance hall number, Irena Pivetti, as his House Speaker and a pataintellectual, Carlo Scognamiglio, as Senate President.

The best strategy is to leave Berlusconi in power without a rubber-stamp parliament to satisfy his every caprice. If on the contrary he were to resign by deliberately forcing a confidence vote to his disadvantage, it would be a national priority to create a coalition to change the electoral law, deal with ordinary administration, and- very wishful thinking- pass draconian antitrust laws to dismember the Berlusconi media empire.

House arrest on Saint Helena would be the best solution.