And this is when Berlusconi is at his best. It’s not quite the LBJ treatment, but I imagine it’s almost as effective.

Berlusconi wants Fini to leave the post of President of the Chamber of Deputies, but, as I mentioned before, there are no provisions for no-confidencing the President of the Chamber.

Berlusconi’s allies are giving the example of Sandro Pertini, who offered his resignation as President of the Chamber following a split within the PSU (the unified Socialist Party). Read the transcript here.

Of course, perhaps part of the reason Pertini offered his resignation was that he knew it would be rejected. In that case, the comparison might be thought to be a little disingenuous.

Berlusconi, according to the usual unnamed sources, wants Fini to be punished, even to the point of requiring him to step down as President of the Chamber of Deputies.

I think this is unlikely. As far as I can see, no President of the Chamber of Deputies has ever resigned, unless to take up another, better post. Three Presidents of the Senate have resigned (Merzagora, Paratore and De Nicola), but Paratore and De Nicola both resigned in protest; only Merzagora’s resignation is surrounded by question-marks (I’m following Wikipedia here).

Nor is there any provision in the Chamber’s rules of procedure to vote no-confidence in the President of the Chamber.

Neither side wins from a protracted fight. I’m betting this blows over.