Back Berlusconi or government falls, allies told

By Philip Pullella

ROME (Reuters) - A newspaper close to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi issued an ultimatum to his allies on Sunday, saying they must back laws shielding him from court trials or risk a government collapse.

Il Giornale, an indicator of Berlusconi's moods and discontent, said the next few days could be a "a week of passion" for the coalition and could lead to the government's resignation and early general elections.

The banner front-page headline of Il Giornale, owned by Berlusconi's brother Paolo, read: "Berlusconi's Ultimatum: Those who don't agree are out of the PDL," referring to his People of Freedom coalition.

It went on to say that Berlusconi's allies must commit themselves to "protecting the prime minister from the judicial offensive against him" otherwise "the government will resign and there will be new elections".

Berlusconi, who lost his immunity from prosecution last month, has often shown his fury against the judicial system, saying it was overrun by "communists" out to destroy him.

He has been in combative mode since Italy's top court ruled that his protection from prosecution while in office violated the constitution. It overturned a law passed by his government which critics denounced as tailor-made to protect him.

Since the ruling, Berlusconi's lawyers have been working overtime on a project to reform Italy's snail-paced judicial system, a reform that critics say would once again shield him from prosecution by blocking a number of his trials.

According to reports in major newspapers, Berlusconi wants to present legislation to parliament that would put time limits on the three stages of court cases in Italy: initial trial, first appeal and final appeal.