His office has been rocked by scandal and charges of corruption.
Now, stripped of immunity and ordered to stand trial on charges of having sex with an underage woman, prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's political obituary is being written yet again.
Al Jazeera's Tim Friend reports from Rome on the mix of embarrassment, shame and amusement among Italian citizens at the efforts of the 74-year-old to cling to power.
