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Italy's opposition turned out en masse on the streets of Rome Saturday to demand Silvio Berlusconi's resignation, accusing the prime minister of dragging the country into bankruptcy and global shame.
Italy's opposition turned out en masse on the streets of Rome Saturday to demand Silvio Berlusconi's resignation, accusing the prime minister of dragging the country into bankruptcy and global shame.
But the 75-year-old "Cavaliere", back to his defiant self after returning from Cannes where the G-20 humiliatingly placed Italy's economy under surveillance, tried to dispel mounting speculation he could step aside.
With "Silvio out!" as a rallying cry, tens of thousands of people heeded the call by the main left-wing Democratic Party and rallied to pile pressure on Berlusconi.
Energised by the large turnout, Democratic Party boss Pier Luigi Bersani blamed Berlusconi for Italy's financial woes and joined a growing chorus demanding early elections.
"Italy is on the most exposed side of the crisis because of an incompetent and discredited government," he said after singing the Italian anthem with a crowd all in the national colours of green, white and red.
"For the country's reconstruction, we urge Italians to put us to the test government and we will show them that we can be a reform party," he said.
At a summit of the world's 20 richest nations in the French resort of Cannes this week, leaders apparently unimpressed with Berlusconi's austerity package decided to put the country's economy under surveillance.
Europe's leaders fear that a collapse of Greece's economy, which is currently hanging by a thread, could have a domino effect and spread to the much larger economies of Italy and Spain next.
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said that Italy's main problem was "a lack of credibility".
The billionaire prime minister played down the gravity of the economic crisis with a trademark quip, claiming that "restaurants are full and the planes fully booked."
"I go to restaurants... to do the washing up," read one banner at Saturday's mass demonstration.
"The sooner we send them to the junkyard the better," read one large placard at the rally, plastered with the pictures of Berlusconi's ministers, as pressure mounted on the 75-year-old leader's government.
The placard also included pictures of his lawyer Niccolo Ghedini and Nicole Minetti, the curvaceous former showgirl who was promoted as regional councillor in Milan after serving as Berlusconi's dental hygienist.
Both are symbols of what the opposition sees as a corrupt administration.
read more Italian opposition in mass anti-Berlusconi rally - Berita teranyar dunia dan pengembangan terdekat dengan tanah air - MSN Indonesia News
Italy's opposition turned out en masse on the streets of Rome Saturday to demand Silvio Berlusconi's resignation, accusing the prime minister of dragging the country into bankruptcy and global shame.
But the 75-year-old "Cavaliere", back to his defiant self after returning from Cannes where the G-20 humiliatingly placed Italy's economy under surveillance, tried to dispel mounting speculation he could step aside.
With "Silvio out!" as a rallying cry, tens of thousands of people heeded the call by the main left-wing Democratic Party and rallied to pile pressure on Berlusconi.
Energised by the large turnout, Democratic Party boss Pier Luigi Bersani blamed Berlusconi for Italy's financial woes and joined a growing chorus demanding early elections.
"Italy is on the most exposed side of the crisis because of an incompetent and discredited government," he said after singing the Italian anthem with a crowd all in the national colours of green, white and red.
"For the country's reconstruction, we urge Italians to put us to the test government and we will show them that we can be a reform party," he said.
At a summit of the world's 20 richest nations in the French resort of Cannes this week, leaders apparently unimpressed with Berlusconi's austerity package decided to put the country's economy under surveillance.
Europe's leaders fear that a collapse of Greece's economy, which is currently hanging by a thread, could have a domino effect and spread to the much larger economies of Italy and Spain next.
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said that Italy's main problem was "a lack of credibility".
The billionaire prime minister played down the gravity of the economic crisis with a trademark quip, claiming that "restaurants are full and the planes fully booked."
"I go to restaurants... to do the washing up," read one banner at Saturday's mass demonstration.
"The sooner we send them to the junkyard the better," read one large placard at the rally, plastered with the pictures of Berlusconi's ministers, as pressure mounted on the 75-year-old leader's government.
The placard also included pictures of his lawyer Niccolo Ghedini and Nicole Minetti, the curvaceous former showgirl who was promoted as regional councillor in Milan after serving as Berlusconi's dental hygienist.
Both are symbols of what the opposition sees as a corrupt administration.
read more Italian opposition in mass anti-Berlusconi rally - Berita teranyar dunia dan pengembangan terdekat dengan tanah air - MSN Indonesia News