Silvio Berlusconi's personal, political and legal problems are mounting, leading the Italian Prime Minister's media and political allies to speak of a plot against him and a risk of early elections.
"Berlusconi under siege," was the headline in yesterday's edition of Il Giornale, owned by Mr Berlusconi's brother, over an article which promised to "reveal the plot" against him.
The tycoon leader has been under pressure since May when his wife announced she wanted a divorce and a series of sex scandals began to emerge. But problems have been mounting of late rather than easing, leading many commentators to predict an early end to his 18-month-old government even though his approval ratings remain relatively high and he has an ample parliamentary majority.
In the last week, prosecutors accused a junior Treasury minister of links with the Mafia and Mr Berlusconi's wife filed for a divorce which promises to be messy and costly by citing him as responsible for the marriage breakdown. And this weekend it emerged that Mr Berlusconi has been avoiding his usual Rome residence because he believes he is under threat from al Qaeda.
"I am very worried," he was quoted as saying in Italy's main daily, Corriere della Sera, and other newspapers yesterday. "There is someone who wants to blow me up."
On top of that, a trial against him on charges of false accounting and tax fraud in the acquisition of TV rights by his Mediaset television empire resumes tomorrow, after Italy's highest court lifted his immunity from prosecution last month.
Another trial which sees him charged with corruption is due to resume on November 27. Mr Berlusconi denies any wrongdoing.
Mr Berlusconi's government has hastily drawn up a reform of the justice system which would extinguish the trials against him, but several allies have distanced themselves from the plan.
"Berlusconi has a duty to face up to the accusations," Gianfranco Fini, a co-founder with Mr Berlusconi of the ruling centre-right People of Freedom party said on Sunday.
He added, however, that legislation to safeguard him from trials while in office was "not a scandal".
While Il Giornale concluded Mr Berlusconi's problems "cannot be coincidences", lower house Speaker Mr Fini, who is widely considered to be manoeuvring to take over as prime minister, rejected talk of an anti-government plot as "a bizarre theory". Speaking in a television interview, he warned against calling early elections, saying this would signal the failure of the People of Freedom party.
In a sign of the growing discord on the centre right, the deputy parliamentary leader of the People of Freedom, Osvaldo Napoli, accused Mr Fini of an "ultimatum" which showed he was after the top job.