Berlusconi kept in hospital after heart scare

Silvio Berlusconi was ordered to stay in hospital for at least another two days yesterday after fainting at a weekend political rally, fuelling speculation that the former premier may be set to bow out of frontline politics.

The 70-year-old centre-right opposition leader collapsed as he addressed the rally live on TV on Sunday. He recovered consciousness a few minutes later and blamed the heat of the conference room. Doctors identified an irregular heartbeat.

Mr Berlusconi was initially admitted to Milan's San Raffaele hospital for an expected 24 hours and aides said he should make a rally in Rome on Saturday against the centre-left government.

But the doctor in charge, Alberto Zangrillo, said he needed to stay for at least another two days.

"Silvio Berlusconi will not be discharged before tomorrow so he can undergo more checks," the doctor told reporters.

Mr Berlusconi's spokesman played down the incident. "These are routine checks for someone who's had an irregular heartbeat... checks that take time," said Paolo Bonaiuti.

The faltering of a leader kept youthful by facelifts and hair transplants is a shock for the centre right, which he has dominated since entering politics in 1994.

"Forza Silvio" (Come on Silvio) wrote right-wing daily Il Tempo, adapting the name of Berlusconi's Forza Italia party which took one in four votes in April's elections, when his coalition narrowly lost to the centre left.

Mr Berlusconi's illness caused a delay in his trial for fraud at his Mediaset broadcaster, the latest in a series of legal battles. The judge yesterday postponed proceedings until Friday.

Mr Berlusconi denies all wrongdoing in the case, where he is charged with 13 others including British lawyer David Mills, estranged husband of British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.

Speculation that Mr Berlusconi might step aside had been smouldering after pro-Berlusconi paper Libero last week quoted him as telling a dinner party he did not intend to stand again as prime minister, something he has since denied.

"From a personal point of view, a health point of view and his own indication, it's not very likely he'll be leader of the right-wing coalition at the next election," said Franco Pavoncello, politics professor at Rome's John Cabot University.

With no other big hitters in Forza Italia, other centre-right leaders touted as successors are Gianfranco Fini of National Alliance and Pier Ferdinando Casini of centrist UDC.

But analysts doubt either could match the charismatic Mr Berlusconi's ability to unite a fragmented centre right.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi sent words of sympathy. In theory Prof. Prodi would be strengthened by a weaker opposition but La Stampa said the two men's destinies were entwined.

"Together they stand and together they are destined to fall," the paper wrote, suggesting centrists in Prof. Prodi's camp might be tempted to join elements of Mr Berlusconi's coalition and scupper Prof. Prodi's plan to create a single centre-left party.

Medical experts said an irregular hearbeat was treatable and not unusual in people of Mr Berlusconi's age. Reports that his collapse was partly due to the heat at the rally were credible as older people are less able to adapt to temperature changes.