Aftreden Berlusconi vandaag verwacht (en)

Outgoing Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is set to put an end to three weeks of political turmoil by conceding defeat in the April elections and resigning on Tuesday (2 May).

"There will be a cabinet meeting on Tuesday at 12.30. I will meet the president of the Republic at 1 PM," said Mr Berlusconi, according to media reports.

His centre-left successor Romano Prodi i meanwhile has called for a swift government change over and hopes to receive the order from the president to form a cabinet in the next days.

"Our objective is to have [a government formed] on May 4 or 5" said Mr Prodi over the weekend.

Mr Prodi has already been through his first tough challenge - getting his candidates elected as speakers of Italy's two chambers.

It took four ballots and two days of voting for Franco Marini to be elected as speaker of the Italian Senate.

Mr Marini was finally elected on Saturday garnering 165 votes against the 156 votes won by the centre-right candidate Giulio Andreotti.

Communist Fausto Bertinotti was elected as speaker of the parliament with an absolute majority of 337 votes - Mr Bertinotti was also elected on the fourth ballot.

Commenting on the results, Mr Prodi said "I'm very, very, very happy. We've settled down now".

Italy's next President

Next on Italy's political agenda is the appointment of a new president of the Republic.

Italian media reports say that Mr Prodi's coalition will propose Giuliano Amato as Italy's next President, a former socialist prime minister.

But Mr Berlusconi and his coalition are also working hard to have a political ally fill the post.

Current president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi's mandate will expire on 18 May.

Meanwhile Mr Berlusconi's resignation to is unlikely to mean that the controversial billionaire leaves the political scene.

"For someone like me, it would be splendid to take a few years' sabbatical. However I think that having had such high public approval that would be like betraying Italians" said Mr Berlusconi.

"I will be a strong opposition in and out of parliament," he insisted.

Mr Berlusconi is expected to stay on as the leader of Forza Italia.