ROME - The front page of Il Sole-24 Ore, Italy's leading financial daily, said it all today, in a gigantic headline with just two words, written in 6-inch-tall letters: FATE PRESTO - Do it fast. And fast is what is happening today. President Giorgio Napolitano's appointment yesterday of the prestigious Mario Monti, front-runner to replace Berlusconi as premier of a government intended to stop the dithering, paved the way. Things are indeed speeding up, and today the political know-it-alls were already putting together a guess list of possible ministers to serve with Monti. This weekend is shaping up as crucial, and when I phoned the Quirinal Palace to see about a possible visit (the palazzo (it's open every Sunday), I was told that it will likely be closed for consultations with party leaders. Berlusconi's resignation, following a vote--due this weekend--over the budget as presented to the EU, is moving closer.
