TODAY’S glittering ceremony in Rome should have been a moment of triumph for Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, and a chance to re- establish Italy’s European credentials amid carefully stage-managed pomp and ceremony.

Instead it is being tarnished not only by the turmoil over the European Parliament’s objections to the conservative Catholicism of Rocco Buttiglione, Italy’s commissioner, but also by the challenge to Signor Berlusconi’s hold on power from his arch rival, Romano Prodi, the Centre Left leader, as he returns from Brussels.

Yesterday Signor Prodi visited the Pope, who said that he hoped that the impasse over Signor Buttiglione — a papal adviser — would be resolved with reciprocal respect in a spirit of goodwill.

The Pope admonished the EU for omitting from its new constitution any mention of the Christian values on which Europe was founded, saying that the role of Christianity over the centuries was “an undeniable fact that no historian can forget”.

Signor Prodi also made what he described as a courtesy call on Signor Berlusconi. La Repubblica, however, noted that Italy’s six-month EU presidency in the second half of last year had been clouded not only by Signor Berlusconi’s gaffes but also by tensions between him and Signor Prodi.

Signor Berlusconi blamed the Italian Left for encouraging leftwingers at Strasbourg to oppose Signor Buttiglione. The Left retorted that Signor Berlusconi had precipitated the crisis by insisting on appointing Signor Buttiglione instead of renominating Mario Monti, the highly respected Competition Commissioner in the outgoing Prodi commission.

Reports said that Signor Berlusconi had tried in vain to persuade Signor Buttiglione to withdraw but was standing by him for the present.

Alternative Italian candidates include Franco Frattini, the Foreign Minister, and Letizia Moratti, the Minister for Education and Research.

Signor Prodi said that he would stay on as interim President of the Commission until the impasse was resolved. His return to Italian politics would be delayed, he said, with anti-Berlusconi protests planned for November 6 postponed until December. But he appeared in ebullient form after sweeping centre-left gains in this week’s parliamentary byelections, and vowed to repeat his 1996 election victory over Signor Berlusconi in the next election, due by 2006.

Signor Berlusconi, by contrast, faced calls for a reshuffle of his centre-right coalition after the by-election setbacks, with Gianfranco Fini, the Deputy Prime Minister, admitting that the Government “clearly cannot keep its promises”.

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