Silvio Berlusconi, who has been the prime minister of Italy three separate times (and sworn in four), resigned over the weekend, not because of his seemingly endless string of sex scandals, loathsome gaffes, or conflicts of interest, but because of Europe’s financial instability. While the passage of austerity measures required by the European Union may save Italy in the short-term, Berlusconi no longer had the political support to lead the country through its economic darkness, and was replaced by premier-designate Mario Monti. Getting the parliamentary votes to keep the country afloat, though, while not the worst imaginable final chapter for Berlusconi, is certainly not what he will be remembered for. Oh, no! There’s been far more memorable stuff than that.
