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Italian politics seems set for a very bumpy ride. The technocratic government of Mario Monti, which was sworn in a year ago to tackle the economic crisis, is facing growing pressure from political parties in pre-election mode. Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose party provides vital external support to the Monti government, backtracked on his October 25 promise to end his political career in response to his four-year prison sentence for tax fraud. His announcement included an angry outburst against the judiciary and "hegemonic" Germany, and threats to revoke his support of the Monti-led government. This has added greater uncertainty to Italy's fluid politics, and it is now entirely unclear whether the general elections scheduled for April will generate a...