Berlusconi's Political Future in Doubt
By ALESSANDRA RIZZO, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, August 7, 2005
(08-07) 01:16 PDT ROME, Italy (AP) --
Silvio Berlusconi's political future is on the line as the premier's conservative allies are debating — for the first time — if he is the right man to lead the coalition in next year's elections.
It's a startling turnaround for the media mogul who entered politics more than a decade ago. Leading analysts and newspapers are talking about "the end of a taboo" and even of "the beginning of the post-Berlusconi era."
But the national daily La Stampa cautioned against writing Berlusconi off.
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With the electoral campaign ahead and Berlusconi's popularity sagging amid economic woes and opposition to Italy's involvement in Iraq, some conservatives believe that a change of leadership is what's needed to win the mid-2006 vote.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/08/07/international/i011642D60.DTL