The lack of credibility of the Berlusconi government has led to an unprecedented degree of unity amongst the social partners in calling for a change in policy, and implicitly in leadership. The main trade unions and employers associations signed a joint document appealing for 'discontinuity' and a 'pact for growth' drawn up with the social partners. The Uil union (close to the ruling party) didn't sign.
This is an interesting move, suggesting Berlusconi's support base is slipping away. Some commentators are drawing parallels with 1992, when a financial and fiscal crisis ushered in a wholesale change in the political establishment (ironically, hastening Berlusconi's rise to power).
