Silvio Berlusconi resigns

[longfingernails]

A great day. He was even more of a disgrace to the right-wing, internationally, than George W Bush. And that is just in terms of policy - let alone his disgusting scandals.

Internationally, the conservative parties of today, are a disgrace to the legacy of great conservative legends of the past. Once, we had people of the stature of Hayek and Thatcher. Now we get Herman Cain and Berlusconi!

Everything is right for a renaissance of conservative ideology, conservative principlies, and indeed, a new global conservative century - everything, that is, except the spineless excuse for leadership in conservative parties.

Bloody hell! something we agree on.

On top of the the support from Women for Cameron and the Tories is quickly leaking away.

I'm no fan of Mr Berlusconi but the one remarkable aspect of his leadership has been that he brought some continuity to Italy. Prior to his taking charge, they'd swapped governments once or twice a year. Not sure about lfn's description of a 'rise in conservative ideology' I think the only 'ideology' that is evident at the moment is the one that says the Eurozone project must succeed at all costs. Elsewhere, ideology has been put to one side in favour of fire-fighting.

It is about bloody time. He was an embarrassment to the entire country.

I'm not sure an awful lot is going to change now that they have a banker in charge, because one thing Berlusconi was, was a terrifically successful business man. As I understand it, he refused/was unable to put his country first, above the interests of the financiers, so why should the new man do any better?

Street parties and celebrations in Italy last night..... Thank heavens he has gone!

Berlusconi has gone, now the auserity will begin. The appointed technocrats will do their work.

austerity

Yes, he is gone hurrah! Though I am not sure we have seen the end of him, and even worse of his large quiche.

But let me put a few points straight:

"Berlusconi brought some continuity to Italy", well what a relief then, he? Continuity towards disaster, maybe, because no one else did so bad for italy, not even when governments changed every 2 yrs (and actually the only berlusconi govt that came to its natural end was the second between 2001 and 2006, he then lost the elections).

ANd yes B. was (is?) a successful manager (who actually succeeded because he managed to get the monopoly of the tv industry thanks to his political links in the late 1970s and early 80s), but his success in business hasn't translated into a rational political program. Ever. Hopefully things will change, and not just to please the markets or for the sake of Europe. Italy has been steady, unmovable for the last 10 yrs, it's time to change.

'Hopefully things will change, and not just to please the markets or for the sake of Europe. Italy has been steady, unmovable for the last 10 yrs, it's time to change.'

I think things will change, the sort of change that occurs when teh IMF arrives. The crowds won't be cheering for long, when they see teh austerity that will be imposed on them by teh technocrats. They'll be begging for Berlusconi to return.

Blair was on TV this morning. He said something like forget about left and right, things have to be sorted out. That's why teh technocrats have been brought in, it's the end of left and right, the end of normal politics. This is appointed technocrats obeying the wishes of the markets and other EU powers.

And it looked like many people in the crowds wee cheering them on.

People were cheering on because the perception of a good part of Italians has been that the country has been literally raped for the last 3 yrs of the B. government. The country has been made poorer economically (because there have been no reforms, no incentives) and culturally, as, trust me, the level of the political debate, for instance, has plummeted (some things uttered by B. and his allies wouldn't have been tolerated in the UK, I am sure).

I am pretty sure that the austerity measures won't be welcomed by the Italian society that easily. I am not happy to be dictated by the IMF.

But Mr Monti is an improvement. Thiough B. will be back, sadly.