Berlusconi's rant reflects Italian rifts Even long-time friends and allies used to the twists and turns of their leader's policies and chequered private life were left shocked; embarrassed. Silvio Berlusconi's televised rant against Italy's judiciary, the constitution, "hegemonistic" Germany and, worst of all, his scarcely veiled threat to bring down Mario Monti's technocrat government left his close supporters struggling to calm the waters before financial markets were to open on Monday. "It was an emotional moment," explained Franco Frattini, a former foreign minister and friend of the three-time prime minister. Look at his body language, typical of a man who is really furious. . . But even I was surprised at his outburst against the Monti government. The immediate reason behind Mr Berlusconi's sudden decision to convene a press conference on Saturday was his conviction for tax fraud by a Milan court a day earlier and its imposition of a four-year jail sentence, which was then reduced to one. The "inside explanation" for his fury, according to Mr Frattini and others in their centre-right People of Liberty (PDL) party, was not so much the verdict, which can be overturned on appeal and is likely never to be enforced because of the statute of limitations. It was the judges" view that Mr Berlusconi had a "criminal tendency." Nevertheless, the damage has been done. For the outside world, it is further proof that Italy is condemned to political instability. After all, only last week, Mr Berlusconi had praised Mr Monti at a private dinner, asking him to run as the centre right's candidate, and broadly endorsed his policies in public. Mr Berlusconi's brinkmanship should also be interpreted in the light of his separate trial on charges - which he denies - of paying for sex with a juvenile prostitute and abusing his office to get her out of police detention. That trial, with titillating accounts of erotic "bunga-bunga" parties, is coming to a faster conclusion than Mr Berlusconi's defence had hoped. The "end of an era" sensation is fuelled by Mr Berlusconi's last gasp at what L'Unità, a leftwing daily newspaper, called "impotent populism." Mr Monti, who is reported to have watched the press conference on television to his astonishment, is not commenting. Government officials have been quick to smooth matters over. We are serene. We'll move on," said one. This was the last outburst of a wounded animal. The prevailing view is that Mr Berlusconi simply does not have sufficient numbers in the party to pull its support for Mr Monti. But his tirade can certainly make its life in parliament difficult with a crucial vote coming up this month on the 2013 budget. Mr Berlusconi's opposition to tax increases and his criticism of Italy's subjection to Germany's "hegemonistic" economic policies will set the terms of battle for when the PDL holds primaries in December to choose its candidate to run as prime minister for elections expected next March or April. Mr Frattini sees that as a clear contest pitting Angelino Alfano, former justice minister whom he backs, as the "moderate" pro-Europe candidate against someone who will emerge as the representative of eurosceptic populist policies. For all Mr Berlusconi's aberrational behaviour in recent days, some constants remain. The 76-year-old billionaire did reaffirm that he would not run again as prime minister, even though he would remain in politics to promote reforms of the judiciary, "so no Italian has to go through what happened to me." Riven by infighting and weakened by corruption scandals, the PDL will struggle to recover from where it languishes in opinion polls, with about 15 per cent support. That leaves Italians on the centre left praying that the Democratic party will emerge in one piece after its own bruising primaries, due shortly, between leftists and moderates. The combination of an imploding centre right and a backward-looking centre left that hardly grips the popular imagination could mean an inconclusive election result next year and more rule by appointed technocrats - maybe good for markets, but hardly for democratic accountability.