Berlusconi resists calls to resign for party name gaffe

ITALIAN Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi dismissed opposition calls for his resignation yesterday after yet another vulgar gaffe stirred up a mix of outrage and weary exasperation.

Berlusconi — under pressure over a variety of corruption and sex scandals and facing criticism over his centre-right government’s erratic handling of the economic crisis — accused the left-wing opposition of “obsessively” seeking to drive him from office.

Mr Berlusconi joked that he could revive his People of Freedom (PDL) party’s flagging popularity by changing its name to a slang Italian word for female genitalia.