Romano Prodi, the former Italian Prime Minister, has broken his silence over the scandals engulfing his successor Silvio Berlusconi and urged Italians to "save Italian democracy and dignity" by voting for the centre-left opposition in elections this weekend.

Mr Prodi, who has stayed out of politics since the defeat of the centre-left in national elections a year ago when Mr Berlusconi and the centre-right won a commanding majority, said he was stepping in because of "the intense increase in numerous signals of alarm and questions from so many foreign friends and observers about the democratic quality and declining dignity of our country - signals that I have gathered painfully while working internationally."

The increasingly embattled Mr Berlusconi last night said he would "not give up" but would "take this country forward". Appearing on Porta a Porta, the main evening chat show on RAI, the state television network, he dismissed reports that he was thinking of calling early elections. It is the second time since the row over his relationships with young women broke that he has appeared on the show.