Prodi is preparing himself to play a game which doesn't contemplate a tie: "This time it's winning or loosing". The plan of attack is ready, maybe it has been ready for months. Few, but precise reference points. A possible new term for Prodi could be accepted only at strict conditions, only if "I'll have free hands", only for a "strong and binding program."
-- From corriere.it, read more.

Ok, the fall of Prodi is starting to look more and more as a staged operation. Prodi had a weak government and needed an excuse to get new forces into it --taking them from Berlusconi's front. This had to be done without offending Prodi's left-wing partners, the communists and former communists (OK, I'm kidding: it had to be done without offending their supporters. Italian politicians are never "offended".)
So, a emergency situation had to be set up, where Prodi had to either enlarge its coalition or die and bring everyone down with him. I immediately kind of had the feeling the whole thing was staged (ten years ago Prodi was PM and got stabbed in the back in just the same way: how can you make the same mistake twice?)-- but I didn't believe Prodi could actually remain glued to the chair despite it.
Instead the situation will probably develop like this: Prodi will get from the President a second chance to form a government, on the grounds that members or former members of the UDC democratic christian party will pass on his side. The new government will be formed and he will finally have the strong coalition he needed, ranging from neo-communists to right-wing christian democrats.
It's impossible to say for sure with italian politics so, we'll see. But finally --at least for a short while-- things are going to be disgusting enough to be fun again.

note: Since Follini seems to be one of the oligarchs of the right who could change side in the next days and pave the way to others, I wonder now if it was a coincidence that in the last weeks there were huge billboards around in Milan --and probably other italian cities-- with Follini's face and name on them, despite the fact that no elections were taking place, anywhere.