Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi certainly looks like he’s at the end of his rope, and that his center-right government will fall before the end of the year.

It’s not a sex scandal that will bring Berlusconi down, though there have been some good ones recently, most notably a young and buxom Moroccan dancer who told of “Bunga-Bunga” sex parties at the Prime Minister’s home.

The fall of Italy’s most colorful billionaire is much more prosaic; his split with long-time ally Gianfranco Fini, a right-wing member of the coalition who has decided he’s had enough of Berlusconi.

While lots of left-wing Italians want to see Berlusconi go, including much of the press, he’s actually very good for journalists. Silvio Berlusconi makes headlines.

Ever hear of Lamberto Dini, Massimo D’Alema or Romano Prodi? Probably not, but they’re all former Italian Prime Ministers.

But everyone has heard of Berlusconi, though perhaps not for the right reasons. He tends to make news for major-league gaffes, like saying that U.S. President Barack Obama has a good tan.

And when defending himself for having helped out the Moroccan dancer recently, Berlusconi said he had healthy heterosexual tendencies and that “being passionate about beautiful girls is better than being gay.”