European Commission President Romano Prodi has assumed the mantle of Italy's centre-left opposition in the hopes of ousting Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in the next national elections in 2006 or before.
Prodi, who said he would serve out his term in the commission until it expires this October, was hailed at a weekend rally as nothing less than a messiah who the opposition hopes will lead them out of the political wilderness.
With his face projected on a huge screen at a Saturday convention where four centre-left parties sealed a unity pact for the June 13 European elections, Prodi attacked the Berlusconi government without naming it.
He praised the ideals of the centre-left and criticised the government's handling of the economy in Italy, with growth stalled and prices rising since the introduction of the euro.
"June 13 is only one step on the road for Italy in Europe. After that another finish line awaits us and there will be more of us then," he said in a clear reference to the national polls.
The next national elections are scheduled for spring of 2006 but can be held earlier if the Berlusconi government collapses.
It was Prodi, a former prime minister and the only person to beat Berlusconi in national elections, who convinced the badly splintered centre-left to unite in the European elections.
An opinion poll in the centre-left Espresso magazine last month said 48.8 percent of people would vote for Prodi if he were standing in European elections, against 32.2 percent for Berlusconi.
But the once and future leader of the centre-left said he would not be a candidate for the June elections because he wanted to honour his commitment to Europe "to the end".
"I can't enter this house until November 1, but I already feel it is my house," Prodi said of the opposition alliance.
Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini accused Prodi of a conflict of interest and said he should leave the European Commission if he wanted to have a role in Italian politics.
Prodi beat Berlusconi in a general election in 1996 but he was later sunk by feuding among his allies on the left.
TWO MEN REMAIN POLITICAL FOES: Their mutual animosity was on display during Italy's EU presidency, which ended in December. Berlusconi angered Prodi by promoting policies out of sync with EU thinking, such as defending Russia's human rights record in Chechnya.
The two also clashed swords when Berlusconi said the euro had "produced many negative effects", including higher prices.
Prodi denounced the criticism as "lies" and accused Berlusconi's government of failing to prevent unscrupulous shopkeepers from hiking prices after the euro was introduced.