Italy govt lands in crisis as ally quits, PM says all options open

An Italian coalition party on Friday announced that it was quitting the Government in a move likely to force Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign and seek a fresh mandate from Parliament.

Sparking the worst political crisis of Berlusconi’s four years in office, the Union of Christian Democrats (UDC) said its four ministers would leave the cabinet and urged the Prime Minister to form a new administration with new policies. Berlusconi, who is determined to serve a full five-year term, due to end in spring 2006, has previously said he would not accept a major overhaul of his centre-right coalition.

But after the UDC decision, he said all options were open. ‘‘You’re not going to get rid of me that easily.’’ Berlusconi swept to power in 2001 at the head of a four-party coalition. The political crisis was triggered by local elections earlier this month in which the government parties lost 11 of the 13 regions up for grabs.