国际英语新闻：Berlusconi gov't rocked by resignations of former allies

ROME, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The slow erosion of the power base of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gained momentum Monday after four key government figures loyal to Berlusconi ally-turned-critic Gianfranco Fini resigned from office.

The move, which was announced a day earlier, weakens the 74- year-old Berlusconi's grip on power but does not automatically trigger a collapse of the government.

On Monday, after the resignations were announced, Minister of Welfare and long-time Berlusconi loyalist Maurizio Sacconi told state broadcaster RAI, "With this development, the treachery has been consummated."

But the development seems to have done nothing to lessen a defiant Berlusconi's resolve to hold onto power: over the weekend he vowed not to resign, telling followers to ignore press speculation about his political demise.

"Don't read the newspapers," Berlusconi said. "Sixty percent of Italians are with me."

Berlusconi's estimates contradict a poll from the polling company Opinioni released Monday, which showed Berlusconi's support at a meager 26 percent. Other polls released in the last 10 days all showed his support levels below 35 percent.

Berlusconi has in the past been dismissive of the four newly resigned Fini loyalists -- Minister of European Affairs Andrea Ronchi, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Adolfo Urso, and undersecretaries Antonio Bonfiglio and Roberto Menia -- referring to them as the"Quattro Gatti,"Italian for the "four cats,"a jab that refers to the Italian colloquialism making a place sound inconsequential because it is inhabited by only four cats.