Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi smiles as he arrives at Milan's central train station, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Italian Premier Mario Monti announced Friday he is heading a new campaign coalition made of up centrists, business leaders and pro-Vatican forces who back his "ethical" vision of politics, aiming for a second mandate in office if his fledging reform movement wins big in parliamentary elections. Monti was appointed premier 13 months ago after his scandal-plagued predecessor Silvio Berlusconi failed to stop Italy from sliding deeper into the eurozone debt crisis. He quit earlier this month after Berlusconi pulled his party's support from Monti's government, but is now continuing in a caretaker role until the next elections. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) (The Associated Press)
ROME – Ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi has sharply criticized the decision by Mario Monti to run in Italy's general elections and has vowed to launch a parliamentary inquiry into the 2011 fall of his government and appointment of Monti as Italy's premier.
Berlusconi spoke out Saturday after Monti ended a week of hedging and announced Friday that he would head a coalition of centrist forces, businessmen and pro-Vatican forces running for office in Feb. 24-25 elections.
Berlusconi said he never expected Monti would reneg on his repeated assurances that he "wouldn't use the public prominence as head of a technical government for an ulterior presence in politics."
Monti was named to lead a technical government after Berlusconi was forced to resign amid Italy's slide into the eurozone's debt crisis.
Berlusconi's party trails in the polls.
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